Spike and Daniela
by Scarlet Thorne
Summary: Since Spike had the chip put into his head, he has been unable to feed. Knowing that they must do something drastic to keep him on their side, Giles and Willow work their magic. Of course, there are a few side effects that no one could have predicted. **Includes original character, Daniela Malone
1. Chapter 1

Spike settled himself onto Giles' couch and watched the commotion that filled the room.

Giles and Willow were busy in the kitchen working on a potion for the recent Big Bad to plague Sunnydale. Zander and Buffy sorted through Giles' weapons in the far corner of the room, laughing and joking as only good friends can, while Anya whined from her spot on the far lounge chair.

Everyone had something to do, except for good old Spike.

Since that goddamn chip was put into his head, he had been having a bit of an identity crisis. Instead of the brawling and the fighting that he had been used to, he was hanging with this gang of misfits, fighting crime and evil like a modern day Scooby Gang (and it was anyone's guess who was playing the part of the mangy mutt). And even worse than that, he was starting to actually develop a conscience! Not that he'd ever admit to that, but every once in a while, it actually felt good to feel like a part of something again.

He patted his cigarettes in his jacket and wished for the millionth time that he could either go outside to enjoy a good smoke or that tight-assed Giles would let him have a few drags in the house. Seeing as it was about 4pm and the sun was still high in the sky, it didn't look like he would get the chance any time soon.

He had finally moved out of Zander's basement and was settled into an old crypt in the cemetery. Normally he wouldn't have even bothered showing up to these little Scooby meetings, but Giles said it would be in his best interest, and it was common knowledge that Spike looked out for his best interests. Thankfully there were enough clouds in the sky to keep him from getting the sunburn of a lifetime on the way over, mostly thanks to his ratty old blanket sitting in a heap next to the door. After a good amount of use, it was singed a bit at the edges, but otherwise still in pretty good shape.

"Buffy, did you talk to Dani? Did she say where she was?" Giles shouted from the kitchen, as if he wasn't only a few feet away.

Buffy swung a gleaming silver battle-ax at the shield that Zander held and it connected with a loud clang. "It's Tuesday, so her last class doesn't get out until about 3:30, and then she said she was going to stop at home first before heading over. She should be here any minute now."

"Alright, we'll wait for her. Willow and I have taken on a small side project, and we're ready to divulge some of its details. But we'd rather wait until she gets here. It just won't do to have two separate demonstrations."

None of the crowd paid much mind to Giles' speech, but then again, they never really did. Making himself more comfortable on the couch, Spike purposely sat between two cushions, taking up more than half of the space on the couch. Unknowingly, he smiled to himself.

"And what are you smiling about, blood sucker?"

He never really spoke to Anya, seeing her as an annoyance more than anything, but he was recently finding that she was much more observant than he appreciated. Before he could respond with a sarcastic remark, the front door swung open, revealing the favorite part of Spike's day.

Daniela Malone was a woman to be reckoned with. She had California sun-kissed skin and curves built to make a man beg; unfortunately she either didn't notice or went out of her way to hide it. She wore unfitting jeans with a worn brick-red sweatshirt and pulled her lovely midnight-black curls into a ponytail. But her camouflage measures couldn't fool Spike; the way that the baggy clothing fell on her voluptuous body merely hinted at the hidden treasures below. A body like hers deserved tribute, and he had several X-rated ceremonies in mind.

When he'd first come to Sunnydale, intel had lead them to believe that she was dating Zander, and when he'd found out that wasn't the case, he still hadn't been sure what he thought about her. The group was especially protective of her, which naturally tempted him to want to find out why. Dru, always the little conqueror, had wanted to capture her and keep her as a pet for their little group, and for the first time since the mishap in Manhattan almost 40 years ago, he'd agreed. He'd wanted her to work for him, and even more than that, he wanted to play. He rarely took interest in any of Dru's prisoners, but in Daniela's case, he would have preferred to keep her for himself.

Naturally, the Slayer had destroyed his plans, causing him to run. Every once in a while he'd end up back at the Hellmouth, and every time he did, Daniela wasn't too far from his mind. Eventually, the bloody soldier types put the chip in his head, and since then, he'd had to play nice with the Slayer and her cronies, which included Daniela.

As a rule, he had only allowed himself to appreciate the view from afar. Oftentimes she caught him staring at her, and he found himself fascinated by the rosy color of her cheeks when she finally noticed him. Every time he spoke to her, or encountered her in any way for that matter, she blushed like mad, and Spike was developing a bit of an addiction to the rush it brought to his system. He kept finding himself trying harder and harder to get her attention, and he wasn't all that pleased with himself because of it.

But it didn't mean that he was planning on putting a stop to it either.

"Sorry I'm late guys, my dad was leaving for work and gave me another lecture about not going away to school."

"Dani, does your dad realize that you're getting ready for spring finals already? And you're already registered again for fall. It's not like you could leave for Yale now anyway."

"You know what, Zander? I don't think he cares. Advanced classes aren't enough for Dr. Malone's daughter. I don't think anything is."

Spike watched as Dani tossed her backpack onto the floor and exchanged pleasantries with her friends. Dani truly was a kind soul, making friends with everyone she met, and she was nothing like any of the women he shacked up with. She was a good girl and damned if he knew why she was so intriguing.

Everyone slowly sat down; making themselves comfortable for Giles and Willow's little presentation. Buffy claimed the other end of the couch, while Zander settled himself into the lounge chair with Anya squarely on his lap. Dani stood at the entrance to the living area, taking in her options. Spike smiled at her, knowing full and well that he was occupying the only other seat available besides the floor.

"Spike, just because you aren't human doesn't mean you can be an asshole. Scoot over and let Dani sit on the couch." Buffy motioned for Dani to come over, but she seemed skittish, and rightfully so.

Locking eyes with Dani, he scooted toward the end, leaving her a small space between himself and Buffy. She looked away from him, but the telltale blush was already spreading across her cheeks. She sat as far away from him as she could, but her thigh still touched his, and he'd be damned if it wasn't the most excitement he'd felt since moving into this hell-hole.

"Since everyone is here, and we do have quite a battle before us tonight, I say that we get started." Giles moved into the living area with his hands full of books before placing them all on the coffee table. Willow stayed in the kitchen, stirring the mysterious liquid in the large steel pot.

"Willow and I have been researching this predicament of Spike's. He is unable to hunt for himself because of the chip, but it is becoming more and more difficult to acquire blood bags, what with the recent change in management at the hospital."

"I don't see how this is our problem. He's just an annoying, sarcastic pain in my butt."

"Buffy, we can't exactly just let him loose on the public." Giles removed his glasses, cleaning them on his shirt, as he usually did when he grew annoyed with their conversations.

"Fine then, let's just stake him and be done with it." Buffy waved her hand, as if the matter was dealt with.

"Why the bloody hell would we do that? I don't want to do that." He turned to look around, but nobody seemed to listen. "Hello?! Anyone want to pay attention to the vampire?!"

Ignoring Spike's outburst, Giles looked at Buffy. "As annoying as he may be, he's willing to fight on our side, and he's the only one of us that has the strength and capabilities of fighting alongside you. Willow and Tara have been utilizing several methods of divination, and so far, everything has pointed to an upcoming battle unlike anything that you've faced before. We need him, and because of this, we need to deal with his issues just as we would for any other member of our team."

Buffy rolled her eyes, but Giles knew that given her stubborn attitude, that was as much of a concession as he was going to get.

"Yeah, you hear that, Blondie? I'm important. I'd keep that in mind the next time you-"

"Spike, I said I wouldn't stake you. But if you keep talking, I'm sure Giles won't have any problem with me removing a few unnecessary dangly parts."

Spike and Buffy leaned over Dani to glare at each other. Normally he would have been shaking in his boots at the Slayer's threat; but he was more focused on the soft smell of raspberry and vanilla emanating from Dani's hair. He'd never gotten close enough to smell her shampoo before, and it was all he could do to keep his primitive reaction from showing on his face.

"If you two are done posturing at each other, I would like to continue." Giles, used to such antics after spending so much time with teenagers, picked up a book from the pile on the table. He waited patiently as both Buffy and Spike settled into their respective corners before continuing. "We may have stumbled upon some ancient magicks that could help him, well, develop a conscience."

His statement was met with silence.

"Basically, it would involve infusing him with someone else's conscience for a short time, through their blood."

"So you're going to let him drink from some poor sap? How is that at all okay?" Buffy stared at Giles, dumbfounded.

"Well, another spell that Willow found makes it virtually painless for the other person. Naturally his chip would go off if he started to drink too much, but since humans can produce their own blood, it's technically a win-win situation." Giles flipped through the book in his hands, looking for a particular passage. "There are legends that discuss some hypothetical remedies for our situation, and we have been researching a couple of them. I did the research, while Willow developed a spell that would serve our purpose."

"There is a bit of magick involved with a vampire's feeding." Willow piped in from the kitchen. "More or less, it's the same magick that keeps Vampires from entering someone's home. Kind of like a magical prevention against invasion, or something. I combined elements from a few other ancient spells and, well, tweaked it to account for the technology involved."

"Basically…" Giles let his gaze fall on Spike. "Well, we think that this spell will work, as long as he receives spoken consent."

The room was silent, and Spike felt more than one pair of eyes on him, but he couldn't care less. Had his heart been beating, it would have been racing.

"So you're telling me, that as long as someone says that it's okay, I can feed and I won't get zapped?"

"Well, that's the idea."

"Blimey, cast the bloody spell and let's get this show on the road!"

"Well, actually, we've already cast the spell. All that we need to do now is try it out…" Willow rushed into the living area, motioning for Spike to stand up.

He stood, careful to graze his leg against Dani's thigh as much as possible in the process. He slowly walked to the front of the area, scanning his eyes around the room, even though he already had a volunteer in mind.

"So, any takers?" Spike smiled at the room, excited as hell.

"Not on your life." Buffy crossed her arms over her chest.

"None for me thanks." Zander wrapped his arms tightly around Anya's waist when Spike's gaze dropped on her. "And don't even think about it."

Spike allowed his gaze to fall on Dani, and he almost smiled when he saw that she was already sporting a crimson blush from the neck of her hooded sweatshirt.

"Love, I think that leaves you."

* * *

Dani looked to Buffy for help, but she seemed more curious about the idea of this little experiment than concerned for her friend's safety. As a matter of fact, all eyes were on Dani, and it made her nervous.

Hell, Spike made her nervous.

She would never admit it out loud, but she was harboring a major crush on the man. He was everything that her fantasies embodied: a bad boy with a fantastic body to boot. Unfortunately, he was also a blood-sucking fiend, which is exactly what she'd spent the past few years fighting against. She knew that nothing could ever come of it, which was why she spent so much time away from him.

She looked at Giles, and he nodded slowly.

Taking a deep breath and hoping that no one could hear her rapid heartbeat, she stood. She looked at the ground for the duration of the walk forward, and, she only made eye contact with him when she absolutely had to.

He smirked at her. She almost passed out.

She looked to Giles. "And this isn't going to hurt?"

"Well, if our calculations are correct, you should-". He cut himself off at her frightened expression. "No. It shouldn't hurt."

Taking as much time as possible, she slowly unzipped her hooded sweater, leaving her clad only in a thin t-shirt that had seen better days.

She knew that should anything go wrong, Buffy would stake Spike before he could kill her, but she couldn't help being afraid of him for other reasons. His pale blond hair was gelled back, and he smelled of worn leather. She had never before allowed herself to be this close to him, and the idea of his teeth on her made her squirm, and not all out of fear.

He motioned for her to stand in front of him, but instead she just thrust her wrist out at him. He smiled, and almost laughed before he set his fingers on her forearm and her palm. Finally, he lowered his head to her.

Stopping a mere millimeter from her skin, he gazed up at her.

"Say it." His voice was thick with hunger.

"Um, what?"

"You have to say it, Pet. Ask me to drink from you."

She bit her lip for a moment and watched as his eyes darkened from the small action.

"Um, okay. Please drink my blood…?"

In an instant she saw his face change and she felt the pinch of his teeth on her skin and, without another thought, everything disappeared from around her. Her mind filled only with the soft sucking on her wrist, the pulling and flowing of her blood as it left her body, and the light swiping of his tongue as he gathered the excess. She only vaguely heard the moan that left her lips, and she just barely felt his groan against her skin. Before she knew it, her knees buckled, but instead of hitting the ground, his other arm flew out, lightning-quick, and wrapped around her waist, tugging her against him.

She felt dizzy and overcome with emotions that were unfamiliar to her. Her whole body was responding to his contact, from the sensitive hardening of her nipples to the growing moisture between her thighs.

She wanted nothing more than to rub her body against his and reenact some of the fantasies that had plagued her since he'd joined their little make-shift gang. She turned until the front of her body was flush against his, and she could feel the weight of his erection against her stomach. She ground her hips against him and felt his other hand lowering from her hip to cup her ass, lifting her closer to him.

And then, there was nothing.

Dani physically shook her head to clear the fog. Buffy was holding a thrashing Spike, while Zander held her in the air; it wasn't until she heard his pained grunt that she realized that she had been kicking out as well.

"Zander, I'm fine. Put me down."

Wary, he did as she asked, and she sank into the armchair to gather her wits and collect her breath.

Looking down at her wrist, there was only a thin scar to show for the odd occurrence that had happened just moments before. Buffy was still guarding Spike, who slowly wiped his mouth and watched her with an intensity that she'd never seen before from him, or any other man for that matter. Dani felt her face warm and knew that she was blushing again.

No one said anything for a long time. Naturally, Anya broke the silence.

"So, did you guys know that we were getting a live porn show today? Because I would have brought popcorn."

Willow looked at Giles for a long time before looking back at Dani. "I'm so sorry Dani; I didn't realize that it would happen like that. There was nothing in the books to suggest, uh, that."

Dani waved it away, unsure if she was able to talk.

Slowly, the conversation turned away from her actions with Spike and onto the upcoming battle with the newest enemy in town. Dani only partly paid attention, and only spoke when she was spoken to. She could feel Spike watching her but was afraid to look back at him.

She sat in the lounge chair, nibbling on the cookies that Willow had brought her, and trying not to think about Spike.

She was failing miserably.


	2. Chapter 2

Friday morning, in her Sociology class, Dani doodled in her notebook, actively not thinking about Spike. Or trying to anyway.

Tuesday night, after the battle, he'd disappeared into the darkness like he usually did, and every time she had been to Giles' house after that, he'd been nowhere to be found. She told herself that she didn't care, but she had sort of been hoping that things had changed between them, even though she knew that it would be a bad idea.

The teacher had stepped out of the room for a moment, and Devin, the cute frat guy that always sat in front of her, turned in his chair. They'd been partners in Sociology 101 last semester, and now that they were in the same class for Sociology 102, they sat together near the back of the classroom. He usually asked for help on assignments, so while they weren't friends outside of class, they usually worked together on projects and studied together with a group of three or four other people every once in a while for tests.

He was very attractive, if not a little dumb, and he always provided interesting conversation.

"So, Dani. What are you doing this weekend?"

"I'm doing absolutely nothing, unless you count watching the Godfather marathon on AMC. In that case, my schedule is pretty booked."

"Well, then you'll be free to meet me at The Bronze tonight at, say, 8 o'clock?"

She stopped laughing and froze.

"Um, well, who else is going to be there?"

Devin smiled his frat boy smile. "Me." After a long pause he added, "I was hoping to maybe take you out for dinner, or a drink, to thank you for helping me pass this class." There was another long pause before he added, "You know, like a date."

"Oh, okay. Sure. That sounds great." She was still baffled when the teacher walked back into the room with a stack full of papers, announcing a pop quiz.

Luckily enough for her, she'd read the textbook and done the homework last night, because she did the entire quiz on autopilot, while the rest of her mind was still reeling.

The only thought that she could process was what the hell was she going to wear?

* * *

Almost an hour later Dani walked into the cafeteria and scanned the room for familiar faces. She saw Buffy and Riley sitting near the middle of the room, so she slowly made her way toward them. They giggled and flirted with each other while Buffy told Riley of her plans to visit her father in LA over the weekend. Sitting with the two lovebirds was originally very interesting, but after several conversations that she wasn't really invited to listen in on, she began to zone out.

Willow and Tara were also going out of town this weekend to a Wicca retreat about an hour away; Zander and Anya were probably going to spend all weekend in Zander's basement boinking each other. Naturally, this meant that besides her date tonight, Dani would be spending her weekend watching reruns on TV.  
Rolling her fork around her steamed vegetables, she overheard a bunch of guys at the table behind them talking about a big party at Trent McIlvane's house. He was the richest guy on campus, and often threw legendary parties for the popular crowd.

Shamelessly eavesdropping, she listened to several anonymous guys tell stories detailing which girls they'd nailed at Trent's previous parties, how much they'd had to drink, and several other fairly illegal anecdotes that made Dani snort into her iced tea.

It was all pretty amusing, until she heard Devin's voice thrown into the mix.

"Yeah, I'll try and hit up Trent's party tonight, but I've got a date at like 8 o'clock. She's cute, I guess. Great rack, but she dresses like a man and I think she's a bit of a prude. If it's a bust, I'll bow out and be there by 9."

Dani almost broke down into tears right there on the spot.

With a mumbled apology to Buffy and Riley, she walked out of the cafeteria and headed to the girl's bathroom, glad that she hadn't told anyone of her evening plans.


	3. Chapter 3

Dani flipped through the channels during the commercial break, munching on Oreos and diet soda. The clock was about to strike 6:15 and the closer that it got to 8:00, the more upset she became.

Even her father had abandoned her this evening. He was overseeing the third shift in the Emergency Room for the next few weeks, which meant that she was going to be seeing him even less than normal. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

She wondered if Devin would be upset when she didn't show up. Probably not. He could probably pick up any of the barflies that hung around The Bronze on a nightly basis, and oddly enough, the thought didn't bother her.

She didn't even really like Devin that way. He was cute, but he was more Buffy's type. Seeing as Dani had never had a real boyfriend or been on a real date, she didn't think she had a type.

Bad boy blood suckers not included.

In full-fledged pity party mode, she grabbed the last cookie from the pack and shoved the whole thing in her mouth.

It was then that she heard something outside.

Knowing that she didn't have any actual weapons in the house, she grabbed a knife from the wooden block in the kitchen and slowly made her way through the garage. Once outside, she paused, waiting for her eyes to readjust to the darkness. Minding the crunchy leaves on the ground, she inched forward, scared out of her mind without Buffy for backup.

"Daniela."

She almost screamed as she swung the knife at the voice that came out from behind her, getting blocked easily.

Spike was leaning against the wall, holding her wrist and grinning.

"Wasn't expecting company, I take it."

"Spike! What are you doing here?" She wretched her wrist from his grasp before taking a few steps backward, rubbing away the feeling of his touch on her hand.

"I, well, I need a favor. Can we talk for a minute?"

"Spike, what do you want?"

"Well if that isn't a loaded question if I ever heard one." He took a drag on his cigarette. "So, why are you home on a Friday night? Date night not treating you well?"

"I'll have you know that I had a date tonight, creep." She folded her arms and refused to feel slighted by his observation.

"Love, it's not even 7 o'clock. Couldn't have been much of a date." He put the cigarette out on the wall before tossing it into the grass.

"Actually, I, uh, didn't go." He watched her with his probing gaze, and she couldn't help but tell him the rest. "I heard him saying things to his friends about me… Apparently, I have a great rack, but I dress like a man and come off as a prude."

His face was unreadable.

"Spike, listen, it's not a big deal. I guess since it was my first date and all-"

"Just hold on a minute. What did you say?"

"Uh, I mean…"

"Bloody hell, you mean your first date ever?"

She nodded slightly, embarrassed. "Well, I'm always considered one of the guys, you know? I guess it was just nice to get some of the attention for once."

She felt bad, unloading all of this on him when he'd come to her asking a favor, but it was nice to talk to someone, even if that someone were Spike.

"Bloody Hell." He looked up at the stars for a moment before looking back at her. He slowly drifted his gaze from her face to her toes and back again, pausing only slightly at her chest. "Invite me in. We're going to get you ready and you're going to go on that date. We're going to make him eat his words."

"Spike, that's really not necessary. I mean, I'm over it. What did you need?"

"Don't mind that, love." He took a step towards her. "Now, invite me in."

She gulped. "Uh, come on in, Spike."

* * *

Spike was so angry at the clod who'd hurt her that he barely realized that he was inside her house until he was standing in the center of her bedroom.

It was interesting. Since she wore such boyish clothes, he was expecting masculine blues and reds, but the walls were light purple with white accents. The bed had a white comforter and the pillows had ruffles. The dresser was white with gold gilded handles, and even her desk seemed dainty.

He'd never gotten an erection from furniture, but naturally Daniela could give it to him.

He cleared his throat.

"First things first. I'm going to pick out your clothes for you, because you can't wear that." Before she could argue with him, he whipped open her closet doors and began sorting through her clothes. The girl may have the body of a playboy bunny, but she didn't have the slightest idea how to dress. The bulk of her wardrobe consisted of hooded sweatshirts and t-shirts that were at least three sizes too large.

He was just about to suggest buying an entirely new wardrobe when he saw a small bundle of black in a ball on one of the shelves. He picked it up to reveal a short black skirt with a slit on the side.

His mouth went dry.

"This. Wear this."

"That's not even mine! Buffy left it here last weekend, and there is no way that'll fit me. Hell, it's tight on her."

He handed it to her, blatantly ignoring her protests and moved toward the dresser. He tried to open the first drawer, but her hand shot out to hold it in place, denying him access, so he started on the next one down. He figured that he'd have time to snoop through her panty drawer later.

Among even more God-awful t-shirts, he found a white spaghetti strap tank-top with a black crescent moon on the front that he'd never seen her wear before. Low and behold, the tag was still attached.  
"And this."

"Listen, Willow got that for me for my birthday, and it doesn't really fit me."

He raised his eyebrow. "And that does?" He gestured to the oversized t-shirt she wore.

"Fine. You'll see. I'm going to change. I'll be back."

He smirked as she left.

"And don't look in my underwear drawer, you creep."

Moments later, the door opened. He turned from the window and almost swallowed his tongue.

The skirt cut off at mid-thigh, but the slit on the right side went up to dangerous heights, and the fabric was so tightly woven to her body that it left very little to the imagination. The tank top was also tight and fell just above her belly button, presenting him with almost two inches of glorious skin at her trim waist. And if that wasn't bad enough, her ample chest was fighting a losing battle with the neckline of the shirt, giving him a tantalizing glance of black lace at the edge of her bra when she crossed her arms.

"See I told you it wasn't going to fit."

He couldn't speak. Spike, who hadn't run out of things to say in several hundred years, was struck mute as he watched Dani stand before him, threatening his sanity as her chest rose and fell with every breath she took. He took a slow walk around her, taking in every detail and preserving it in his memory for future reference.

"We should get going." And as he reached the door, he grinned. "And you should know that you've got panty lines, love. Might I suggest the black thong with the baby blue lace?"

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, since the soft white bedspread was looking more than suitable enough for some of the fresh fantasies running through his mind.


	4. Chapter 4

It had taken another ten minutes before they had actually left, since he had pressured her into letting him do her make-up. She only really had a black eyeliner and mascara on hand for special occasions, and the heavy hand with which he did her make-up made her feel even more self-conscious. (When she asked how he knew how to do makeup, he just shrugged and muttered something about "the eighties", whatever that meant.)

As she made her way downstairs, she grabbed a thin black hoodie from the closet that Anya had left at her house a few days ago. It was tight on her arms, and she couldn't get it to zip over her chest so she let it hang open at her sides. It helped her feel less naked, even if it was a complete lie. After another quick look at Spike's unreadable face, she slipped on her black Old Navy flip flops, and they were on their way.

Pulling into the packed parking lot for The Bronze, Dani started to have second thoughts. As they walked in silence to the front entrance of the bar, she felt a bit guilty. She didn't care what Devin actually thought of her, and she was having more fun hanging out with Spike than anything. She was just about to say so when he shushed her.

"You go in, meet with him, and I'll join you in about 5 minutes." And with that, he walked away.

She fidgeted for a moment, picking at her fingernail, before finding her resolve and walking in. She looked around for a moment, just as Devin was walking toward the exit. She waved, and he went pale.

"Devin! Hi!" She walked toward him, careful not to trip. She may have different packaging tonight, but she was still a complete klutz inside. "I'm so sorry I'm running late."

"Wow. Uh, no problem." He audibly gulped as he looked her up and down. "Let's get ourselves a table." He grabbed her hand and pulled her gently through the crowd, leading her to a small table near the back corner of the room.

They spoke lightly of school, but after a few minutes of small talk, she realized that she really didn't have much to say to him.

"So there's this party tonight at my friend's house, and I was wondering if you'd-"

"Daniela, hi."

Spike walked over out of nowhere, sidling up next to Dani and placing a hand at her lower back. His fingers felt cool against the few inches of warm skin at her waist. He pulled a chair up to the table without removing his hand from her before kissing her lightly at the edge of her cheekbone, close to her ear. She knew that it was supposed to be play-acting, but the intimate act brought a blush creeping to the surface of her cheeks and she hoped the she didn't hint toward their deception.

"Um, excuse me?" Devin looked a bit upset at the intrusion, and Dani almost laughed.

"Oh, sorry, mate. We're old, ahem, friends." He slowly looked her up and down. "I haven't seen her in quite some time." Still not removing his hand from Dani's back, he reached out his other hand to Devin. "I'm Will. And you are?"

"Devin. Her date."

"Well, Devin. Are you 21?" Devin shook his head no. "I see. Do you have a fake id?" He nodded his head slightly. Spike tossed a twenty dollar bill on the table. "Then why don't you go to the bar and get me a glass of Jack with a splash of coke, a vodka cranberry for the lady, and whatever your little heart desires." Devin looked ready to argue, but he sullenly grabbed the twenty and went to the bar.

Spike turned to Dani, and, keeping his face within inches of hers, smiled.

"He's so jealous he's eating out of the palm of your hand."

"And if he's gone, why are you still so close to me?"

"C'mon love, don't you trust me?"

"Well, if that isn't a loaded question if I ever heard one."

He laughed. "Touché." He reached his other hand across her body and began to play with the strap of her tank top, trailing his fingers from the top of her shoulder to right before it met her neckline. "Lover boy is watching from the bar. He's mentally beating me over the head with the bar stool."

Sure enough, when she looked over at him, Devin was watching them carefully.

"Okay. I'll give you that. You know your stuff."

"I know more than that. I also know that whether or not the kid can hold his liquor, he's going to come back with the same drink that I ordered for myself."

"You can't know that."

"Okay. Let's make a bet. If he comes over here with a Jack and Coke, you let me drink from you tonight."

Her breath hitched at the thought. "Is, um, that what you came to ask me for?"

His fingers stopped trailing the length of her shirt strap, but he didn't pull away. He looked her in the eyes for a moment before he began talking again.

"Every night this week, I met with a vampire groupie who gave me their blood willingly. And none of those birds affected me the way you did… Daniela, I-"

"Orders up." Devin placed three glasses on the table, sliding a dark red concoction toward Dani, while splitting two dark amber tumblers between himself and Spike.

Dani quickly pulled away from Spike, and while he slowly removed his hand from her shoulder, he kept his other hand at her back, gently rubbing his thumb in circles against her skin.

"Well, junior, are you a man of Jack and Coke as well?" Spike took a long drink from the tumbler, drinking almost half the liquid in one drink.

"My drink of choice." Devin took a small sip, wincing as the heat entered his throat.

Dani sipped on her drink, well aware that she was watching in on a full-blown pissing contest.

* * *

Almost an hour and a half later, Devin was stumbling back toward the bar for another round of drinks. Dani was sipping on her second Vodka-Cranberry and was feeling mighty buzzed. Spike wasn't showing any signs of being drunk after finishing off his fifth drink, and Devin was trying with all of his might to keep up with him.

"Love, I think your boyfriend is about to hurl."

"He's not my boyfriend. And don't think I haven't noticed your hands slowly creeping to my ass, either." She giggled and moved to nudge him with her shoulder and almost fell out of her chair. Spike caught her, but it brought them even closer together.

"Pet, once you finish that drink, you're going to switch to water."

"Oh come on! I've been taking my time. You've had way more than me. You're probably drunk as a skunk, and you just don't act like it." She laughed at her own joke, snorting a bit at the end.

Spike pulled her close, arm around her back and his cheek resting on her shoulder.

"Dani, do you trust me?"

"Why do you keep asking me that?"

"If I'm going to help you, I need to know."

She bit her lip. "I trust you with my life every time we go into a fight together."

"That's not what I asked you."

"I trusted you with my life on Tuesday when I let you drink from me."

"Again, pet, not what I asked you."

She looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"Big mistake."

Before she knew what was happening, he leaned forward and placed his lips on hers. It was soft and light, but it still affected her more than the liquor. He almost pulled away from her, but before she could talk herself out of it, she pressed herself against him and deepened the kiss. His lips moved sinuously against hers, slowly coaxing her lips open, and then invading her mouth with his tongue. He tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her even closer to him, before finally releasing her. He broke the kiss and slowly trailed his hand along her midriff.

Dani was out of breath, and she felt her swollen lips with her fingertips.

"When he gets back, I'm going to finish my drink and leave." His voice was a deep growl as he stood, putting space between them. "I want you to wait a few minutes before telling him that you'd better leave as well. Tell him, in exact words, that you have to be up early in the morning, that you had a great time with him, and that you'd love to do it again sometime. Then collect your things and meet me at the car."

"Wait, why?"

"Just do it."

Devin came back from the bar and looked questioningly at Spike since he was standing up. Spike grabbed one of the tumblers from the tray, downed the entire thing in a single gulp, before smiling at Devin.

"Listen, mate, it's been great, but I've got to run." He gave Dani one last smoldering look, before turning toward the door.

Devin was very drunk at this point, and kept inviting her, in no lesser terms, back to his friend's quiet get-together.

Right.


	5. Chapter 5

Dani had planned to wait almost ten minutes, but after two minutes of an attempted game of footsie under the table, she recounted her lines for Devin, gathered her things and headed to the car.

Spike was leaning against the driver's seat, smoking a cigarette when she approached. She took in his tight black t-shirt, the blue denim jeans that hung low on his hips and his black leather duster that tied his bad boy ensemble together, and just smiled to herself. She must look like an all around bad ass right now, leaving with him and wearing what she was, and she loved every minute of it.

"Did you say what I told you to say, love?"

"Yes. Every word." She pulled the keys from her pocket just in time for him to take them from her hand.

"There is no way you're driving, pet."

"But I only had like one and almost a half drinks! You had six!"

"I can hold my liquor, love. Get in the car." Pouting, she climbed into the passenger seat. They got to her house a few minutes later, faster than normal since he broke every speed limit on the way home, and walked silently into the house.

He led her into the kitchen with a hand at her lower back before sitting down at the kitchen table.

"Okay, so I owe you a meal, don't I?" She thrust out her wrist.

He just smirked. "Not yet. Lover boy is going to come here."

"Uh, Spike? He doesn't know where I live."

"You're listed in the phone book."

She gave him a questioning glance, which he ignored. "Okay, but even if I am, why would he care so much? I just blew him off."

"He needs to make sure that I'm not here with you. It'll eat him up inside."

She shook her head. "Okay, I'll admit that it was weird that you knew about the drink thing, but I think you're wrong about this."

"Alright, love." He stood up and took the two steps toward her. He towered over her by about six inches, but his nearness no longer frightened her as much as it excited her. "If he shows up in the next twenty minutes, you let me drink from you every night for a week."

"A week?"

"In addition to tonight, so eight days."

"Eight days?!"

"Yeah."

He looked so confident that it made her angry. "And what do I get if I win?"

"What do you want?" His voice was thick and inviting.

"Um, if I win…" She panicked. "You have to alphabetize Giles' documentary collection."

His face sobered for a second before he readjusted his smirk. "No problem."

They stood there, in a standoff for a few more intense moments, until there was a rustling near the front door.

Spike grinned.

He stealthily walked toward the front door before peering through the peephole.

His grin intensified.

He peeled off his shirt, and tossed it at Dani.

"I'm going to take care of this guy for once and for all."

He unbuttoned the top button of his jeans and turned back to open the door. Dani ducked into the bathroom to keep from being seen.

"Get the Hell off my lawn before- Junior? Bloody hell, is that you? What in the blazes are you doing here?"

She heard Devin's mumbled apology, and it sounded so upset that she almost felt sorry for the poor guy. But then she remembered what he'd said about her. With more guts than she'd felt before (thanks to the help of one and a half vodka cranberries), she threw Spike's shirt over her head. She smudged her eye-liner and messed her hair before joining Spike at the door.

"Will, baby, is everything- Oh. " She stopped abruptly and looked at Devin.

Devin stood before her, reeking of alcohol and looking scorned. He took in her attire and looked back at Spike.

"Sorry to interrupt."

He turned to walk away before she could say another word.

It must have been obvious that she was thinking about calling him back, because Spike slammed the door before approaching her.

* * *

"Just what exactly do you think you're doing?" He took another slow, calculating step toward her, unsure why he was so angry.

"I, uh, I think we may have gone a little too far… I was just going to-"

"To what, love? Completely disregard everything we've done tonight? Admit to the whole shenanigan?" She nodded slightly as he continued stalking towards her. "I don't think so. I just dropped $80 on alcohol in order to save your pride, and I don't think I appreciate how ungrateful you are."

He scratched the planes of his bare chest and walked even closer to her.

She backed up against the family room wall and he didn't stop until he was only inches away from her. He could feel her body heat resonating on his skin, and damn if it didn't bring out the rougher side of him.

She stood before him, a hellion dressed in his shirt with messed up hair and smudged eye make-up, looking well-fucked and ready for more. His dick was usually hard for her, but the idea of taking her dressed like this almost put him over the edge.

He was angry, he was horny and he was hungry, and all three of those things made for a very testy Spike.

"Spike, I, uh…"

"You what, princess?" He placed his hand on the wall with more force than he'd planned on, rattling the picture frames on the nearby table and making her flinch.

"I wanted to thank you. For doing this for me." She lifted her eyes to his, effectively making him feel like a complete ass for his temper tantrum.

He stormed toward the kitchen with a low growl, needing some space from her.

Naturally, she followed.

"Listen, Spike. I know that you must be hungry, and you won fair and square, so, uh, here."

She stood in the center of the kitchen and thrust her wrist out at him again.

He stood stock still before allowing a wolfish grin to spread on his face.

"Well, pet, you're right. I'm ravenous." He gripped her wrist, but instead of holding it to his mouth, he used it to pull her into his arms. Within seconds, he flipped her around until her back was pressed against his front, her bare thighs plastered against his jeans. Sweeping her curls from her neck, he growled into her ear. "Say it, love. Tell me to drink."

He felt it as she trembled before mumbling her permission.

The second his teeth pressed against her neck, euphoria flowed through him.

Without another thought, Spike pressed Dani between himself and the kitchen counter, effectively bending her over it. He lifted the hem of the shirt past her hips, and ground his denim restrained dick against her miraculous bare ass, but it wasn't enough. He drank harder and faster, causing her to cry out, but somehow it still wasn't enough.

With a groan he ripped his mouth from her neck and turned her to face him and lowered his lips angrily onto her own. Grabbing her ass with both hands, he lifted her onto the counter and placed his hard length at the apex of her thighs. Her skirt had gotten rolled up around her waist, and the only clear thought that entered his mind was that she had taken his advice and worn the black and blue thong.

He pulled down his already unbuttoned jeans, releasing his bare cock from its denim prison. In a single wretch, he ripped her panties away from her body, revealing her glistening pussy to his view.

He would have entered her in one fell swoop had her voice not broken through the fog in his head.

"Spike, I'm a virgin!"

He froze. Dick in hand, he slowly stepped back from her. Breathing hard, he tried counting to ten in his head. He could hear her voice, but could not make out what she was saying. The need to claim her was so strong that he almost succumbed anyway.

"Spike, I-"

"If you value your virtue at all, you will go upstairs. Now." She started to argue with him again, but before she could get out another word, he cut her off. "NOW!"

Several moments later, Dani looked at herself in the mirror in her room, still trying to catch her breath. Her lips were swollen and puffy, she had a hickey on her neck, and several light bruises on her hips where he'd held her against him. Yet she still felt more energized than she ever remembered.

She slowly slipped his shirt over her head, taking in the smell of him one last time, and dressed herself into her worn pajamas.

After attempting to calm herself down once more, she folded his shirt and walked downstairs to meet him, only to see that he had left already.

His boots were gone, and there was no note of goodbye.

She tidied up the downstairs area, including throwing away the remaining scraps of her underwear, before heading back upstairs to her bedroom, stripping off her pajamas and slipping into Spike's shirt once more before climbing into bed.


	6. Chapter 6

"Yeah, Zander, it was brutal. Dinner with my father is normally pretty intense, but since he's been working third shift, he's exhausted too, so now he's cranky and quiet. When he wasn't scolding me about the school thing, he was practically silent. " She removed her hair from her ponytail that next night, periodically peeking at her hickey in the reflection.

"That sucks. Why don't you come over tonight? It'll cheer you up. Me and Anya are going to watch some old Jackie Chan movies and order Chinese food. We'll call it a theme night."

"That sounds like a blast, but I'm feeling a bit under the weather."

"Alright." There was a muffled noise, followed by Anya's giggle in the distance. "Oh, and before I forget. Remember my friend Miguel from work? He was at that barbecue I made you come to once upon a time."

"Isn't he the one with the tasteful tattoo of a naked woman on his neck?"

"Yeah, that's the one. He said that he thought he saw you at The Bronze last night, and that you were hanging all over some blonde guy. I told him that it couldn't have been you, but he was persistent, and-"

"Yeah, uh, it was me."

Silence hung on the line.

"Uh, Dani? Who was this guy?"

"Well, uh…" She subconsciously rubbed her neck. "His name is… Will. He's a friend of a friend, and he asked me out. We had a few drinks last night. No big deal."

The silence was deafening.

"No big deal? How come we don't know him? Damn. Do you think you'll see him again?"

Dani looked at herself in her mirror, noting the dark circles under her eyes, and a movement caught the corner of her eye. She turned toward the bed, and dropped the phone.

Spike was sitting on her bed, boots lined neatly on the floor and jacket draped across the foot of the bed.  
He grinned.

Scooping up the phone and trying to sound nonchalant, she sputtered into the receiver. "Uh, yeah… I think I might be seeing him again sometime soon, Zan. Listen, can I call you back?" Her voice sounded dazed and airy, but every brain cell she possessed was trying to prove that he was actually there and not just a wishful mirage.

"No prob, Dani. If you talk to your mystery man, tell him that I'd like to have a chat. You know, ask him about his intentions and whatnot." Zander tried to use his macho he-man voice, and she could hear Anya giggling in the background.

"Sure thing." She tried to imagine Zander intimidating Spike before a date and while that should have brought her into a laughing fit, Spike had effectively stolen all of her concentration.

He was lying casually across the bed, but the heat in his eyes alone made her knees almost buckle. His wily grin made her incredibly self-conscious, and the tight fit of his grey t-shirt outlined his muscular physique.

She was gripping the phone so tightly that she barely heard the line click, indicating that Zander had hung up. She slowly placed the phone back into its cradle, never once taking an eye from Spike. They stared at each other for a moment, the air scorched between them. After what seemed like forever, she finally got her throat working.

"What are you doing here? How long have you been sitting there?" She tried to sound angry, but her voice was tight and wispy, and he could see right through her.

He grinned. "Well, love, you owe me seven more meals, and who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?" He looked her up and down, taking in her thin white ribbed tank top that molded to her curves and the soft fabric of her baggy grey shorts that hung low on her hips, barely skimming the tops of her knees.

"I thought that after last night, you know… You wouldn't want…" She trailed off.

"I want. I know I damn well shouldn't, but I want." He spoke softly, but his voice carried through the room.

He'd spent the entire day tossing and turning in his crypt, thinking about her, and trying to come up with any possible explanation for why she affected him this way.

He had nothing to show for it except a headache and a persistent hard-on.

No matter how hard he'd tried, the second the sun went down, he was drawn to her house. He'd paced the front yard a few times, waiting for Daddy Dearest to leave, and the moment those taillights were out of view, he climbed the tree in front of her bedroom and slid in through the window. She'd been engrossed in her phone conversation, and he was just fascinated enough to watch her play with her hair, giving him glances of the tantalizing skin on the back of her neck every once in a while. At one point, she'd pulled her hair to the side, and he'd caught sight of a small hickey that he'd given her last night.

He'd almost blown a gasket right then and there.

"Listen, doll. If you're not up for it, I understand. I know that-"

His voice cut off abruptly as she walked towards him and turned her back towards him. She pulled her hair to the opposite side, exposing his mark on her. He placed his hands at his hips, and only broke out of his reverie when he noticed her wince.

"What is it, love?" His voice was barely a whisper since he couldn't get his voice box to cooperate.

"Nothing, it's just, uh…" She lifted the shirt, showing him his handprints, bruised against her hipbones from the incident the night before.

He was humbled.

William the Bloody, a man that was responsible for hundreds of gruesome deaths, dropped to his knees. He gently turned her, and placed his lips delicately against the bruise on her left side. He kissed her skin softly, keeping his eyes locked on hers. He could feel her heart beating fast, and her blood was rapidly pumping through her veins, calling to him, but this was more important. A moment later, he turned her, giving her other side the same gentle treatment.

He was shaken to the core. It was a good thing that he was on his knees, because his legs wouldn't have been able to support him. He had been capable of horrific things before, but just the thought of harming a single hair on Dani's head caused his stomach to churn.

She reached out her hand to help him up, and he accepted it. She pulled him to his feet and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Her butterfly kiss encouraged him to lean forward himself, placing a single kiss at the corner of her mouth.

He pulled a few inches away from her, before making eye contact and connecting his lips to hers.

He hadn't planned on any of this. He'd been hoping that the out of control urges he'd felt the night before had been entirely due to the booze and the fact that he'd been running on almost no blood. But tonight, he downed a blood bag before leaving the crypt, so that wasn't the case.

The second his lips touched hers, the beast inside him awoke. He gripped her shoulders, pressing every inch of her body against him. He nudged her slowly toward the bed, aware that it was a bad idea to tempt himself this way, but also aware that it would be damn near impossible to stop now.

She moaned encouragingly as she sat down and he stood between the vee of her thighs. He placed his lips at the curve of her neck.

"Say it, love. I need to hear it." His voice was barely a growl, unrecognizable to his own ears.

She smiled meekly at him. "Take it, Spike. Drink from me."

His body reacted to her husky voice without a conscious thought. Before he knew it, he had climbed onto the bed with her and was pressing her against the soft white duvet of what he'd come to call her Princess bed. Her blood was sweeter than anything he'd ever experienced before, driving him insane with want, but oddly enough, instead of the usual need for death and destruction, he was plagued entirely with a different kind of lust.

Of their own volition, his hands crept underneath her shirt, splaying out over her warm skin, inching slowly to the lacy underwire of her bra. As if on cue, her legs wrapped around his waist, bringing his denim erection even closer against her, forcing a groan to pass his lips.

It wasn't until that moment that he realized he wasn't even drinking from her anymore; he was merely kissing and sucking and licking at her neck while grinding his erection against her little hot-button.  
Very subtly, her body started to tighten; he could feel the tension radiating from every muscle as it wrapped around him, from the fingers running through his hair to the legs locked around his waist. Surely she wasn't going to…

But she did.

She imploded, crying out softly. When she came, she released her hands and legs from him, but he refused to let her go. He brushed her hair from her cheek, in awe.

Without removing a stitch of clothing, without touching her directly, he had been able to not only bring her to the peak, but help her over it.

What surprised him even more was how strongly he wanted to do it again.

She was breathing deeply as she turned her cheek into his shoulder. He eased off of her before rolling himself to her side. She was dozing, and he didn't want to wake her, but every once in a while he would allow himself to run his fingers through her curls, or brush his fingertip across her wrist, feeling the soft pulse of blood underneath her skin.

As he lay there, his dick was still hard as a rock. But, for the first time that he could remember, something was more important to him than his own needs.

And that scared the shit out of him.

Easing himself from her bed, he grabbed his jacket and his boots. He stalked to the doorway, intent on leaving without a second glance, but he couldn't help himself. He looked back to the wild curls that were splayed around her head like a halo and genuinely debated crawling back into bed with her.

But he had nothing to offer a girl like that. She was sweet and smart and funny; he was a brutal murderer that was known for killing in cold blood, and he was more than capable of bringing her harm.

What would happen if he allowed himself to get close to her, and then the chip malfunctioned? Or if he got carried away one night and drank too much of her blood? He couldn't risk it. He'd told himself when he showed up the night before that he was just looking for an easy meal, but on another level, he had known it couldn't ever be easy with Dani.

The best thing he could do would be to burn the bridge and make sure that she never wanted to see him again, but it seemed that he was slowly becoming addicted to her sweetness.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he left her room, left her house, and walked in the opposite direction of his crypt in a pathetic attempt to rid her from his head.

About four hours and two packs of cigarettes later, he knew two things with a deadly certainty:

First, he would rather greet the dawn than let anything bad happen to Daniela, and second, the Slayer herself couldn't keep him from going back to her once the sun went down again.

Skulking back into his crypt, he dropped his jacket onto his chair and stripped himself bare before climbing into bed.

He had effectively walked the rest of the night, covering most of Sunnydale on foot before making his way back home. The sun would be rising within the hour, so surely Dani was sound asleep.

The creep that he was, he slowly grasped his still-hard dick in his hands at the thought of what had happened earlier.  
Rubbing himself from base to tip, he allowed himself to think about what it might just be like spending the night with her; able to reach out and touch her whenever he liked while she slept.

She'd come without him laying a finger on her little hot button. How might she react if he slid a finger inside her? If he lowered his mouth on her? Or, by God, if he worked his dick inside her?

The idea of virgins had always scared him; they were clingy and needy, unsure of how to please a man. But the idea of taking Dani's virginity was almost enough to spill his seed. He liked knowing that no other man had touched her there; he was almost able to make himself believe that he could be the only one, ever.

Ha. Virgins may be stereotyped to be clingy and needy, but what was his excuse? He was so clingy that he couldn't go a single day without seeing her, even if from afar. And he was so needy that here he was, jerking off to the mere thought of her

This crush was bordering on stalking, but he was an addict awaiting his next fix.

His thoughts wandered from the sweet zest of her blood, to the soft curls of her hair, to the depth in her eyes when she looked at him. He loved the flush of her cheeks when she caught his gaze, or how she picked at her nails when he made her nervous. The swell of her breasts, her tight stomach and her lush ass may have been what had caught his attention initially, but there was so much more to her that was keeping him hooked.

She was a good girl. She was brilliant and funny, and just damn adorable. Even more than that, she was respectable, which was something that he had never been able to reach; not as William, and definitely not as Spike.

Slowly, he allowed himself to approach the thought of a possible relationship between them… No one knew better than he how disastrous something like that would turn out, but this was his fantasy, damn it, and if anything was bound to make him come, that was it.

He thought about holding her at Giles' meetings, like Zander held Anya. He considered taking her out for dinners, and playing footsie under the table like a normal couple. He pondered what it might be like to hold her all night while she slept. He thought about what it might be like to wake up in the morning with her, fooling around before she left for class, and maybe even shipping her off to school with his scent still on her.

After the barrage of thoughts entered his head, he came. After cleaning himself, he rolled over and locked the door on his fantasies.

A man like him wasn't good enough for a girl like her. As much as it might kill him, he should really try his best to stay away from her, even as he knew he wouldn't.


	7. Chapter 7

The next night at almost 8:30, Dani paced her kitchen. The TV was roaring in the background, but she paid no mind to the dancing tiger in the cat food commercial. The sun had been set for almost an hour, and Spike was nowhere to be found.

When she'd woken up to an empty room last night, it had hurt, but she knew that it was just him being moody.

The first time that he had fed from her, she had been able to tell herself he didn't care; that he was just feeding from her and that it meant nothing to him.

The second time, he'd gone out of his way to help her with the Devin situation, but he'd been so rough, it had been easy enough to fool herself into thinking it again.

But last night was completely different. He had been gentle and tender, allowing walls to come down. He'd seduced her into a pile of tittering mass and only then had he brought her to her first official orgasm.

Naturally, she'd been able to find release on many a lonely night, being a virgin and having almost no experience with the opposite sex at all; but she'd never experienced anything like it in the company of another person.

He was much better at it than she was.

She was more than a little embarrassed by it now though. He probably thought she was desperate and pathetic. A virgin that could climax without any real prompt from him? She understood why he may not want to come back, but she refused to admit to herself that he was gone for good.

She would tempt him with her blood if she had to, in order to get him back. She was getting addicted to his presence, and she had no shame in how she brought him around again.

She walked to the front door and ripped it open, allowing some of the evening's breeze to enter the stuffy house. The spring evening was chilly for California. Certain that she would be pacing out on the porch as well, she reached for a pair of flip-flops. They allowed her to see the dark blue nail polish that she had meticulously applied to her toes in a moment of lapse, and reminded her how pathetic she truly was at almost all things girly.

Her mother, Claudia, had been feminine and beautiful, as hard as it may be to believe. She'd been a Cardiologist that worked at the same hospital where her father, Marcus, worked as a Surgeon. It was hardly a whirlwind romance, but they soon fell in love and got married. Claudia was the spontaneous one, enjoying all things beautiful, while Marcus enjoyed order. She nurtured his frivolous side, while he kept her grounded.

When they'd had their little girl, Daniela Grace, Claudia kept her curls in bows and bought only lacy and beautiful dresses. The room was painted purple, and filled with frilly, girly things. She hadn't actually worn anything other than dresses until she was four years old.

When her mother died.

Claudia found a single lump in her breast only a few weeks before Daniela's 3rd birthday. Breast Cancer. After many operations, it was clear that the cancer had metastasized, and within the year, she was gone.

When Claudia died, it was like all the light in Marcus's life died with her. He came to resent beautiful things, and while he may have been versed in three languages, the man hadn't had a clue how to raise a little girl. Unable to braid her hair the way Claudia had, he'd just thrown her hair into a ponytail before shipping her off to day care. Her favorite frilly white socks soon turned into plain ones, and when she grew out of the little black Mary Janes that she loved, he replaced them with a simple pair of white and black gym shoes. Instead of skirts, dresses and jumpers, he purchased jeans, and so that he wouldn't have to shop too often for her, he bought her a size larger than necessary and merely offered her a belt.

Now that she thought about it, he hadn't entered her room since she was six years old. The only reason she wasn't sleeping in the same Sleeping Beauty bed set that she'd had when her mother died is because found her mother's frilly white guest bedroom set in the basement and took them without asking. She still wasn't entirely sure what her father would do if he ever found out.

Dani didn't really blame him for his actions, since he was doing the best that he knew how. Naturally as she grew up, she skipped the ballet classes that she wanted for baseball tryouts. In elementary school, she became best friends with Zander and Willow, since they were the only ones who wouldn't tease her for being 'gender challenged'.

Life in Sunnydale was interesting, but besides Willow and Zander, she always felt like an outsider. She kept wearing the boyish clothes that she had been used to, but once her body started to develop and she needed to start wearing undergarments, she allowed herself to indulge in some of the more flimsy items. She quickly became addicted to lacy bras and frilly panties, merely because no one else would know, and it allowed her to access her girl side and feel close to her mother without upsetting her father.

School was easy, since Dr. Malone was a force to be reckoned with when it came to schoolwork; he assumed that she was going to become a doctor, like him and his father before him and his grandfather before that. But in freshman year of high school, she was introduced to the one thing that truly changed her life: the computer.

Dani was fascinated in computers and all things electronic, and spent every waking moment playing with them, learning the language. She took even more classes on it as high school passed, in addition to some biology classes and anatomy classes to appease her father.

Letting the front screen door slam behind her, she walked to the bench swing on the front porch. The white wicker was worn, but the floral pattern of the cushion was so well-cleaned that it looked almost brand new. It was her mother's bench swing, and just sitting on it made her feel close to her mother.

She settled against the wicker, missing her mother. She may not have known her mother very well when she passed away, but she could still hear the click of her heels against the kitchen tile, or smell the fancy floral perfume that she wore at the base of her neck. Everyone said that Dani looked just like her, and she just hoped that it was true; because it gave her just a little bit more of her mother to keep close to her.

There was a sound from the sidewalk, and Dani jumped, excited at the thought that it might be Spike. A hooded figure walked down the sidewalk before turning at her driveway. Unfortunately, it was too short to be him.

"Can I help you?"

Pulling the hood back, Devin smiled back at her.

"Oh, hey Dani. I just, uh…" He walked until he was only a few feet in front of her. He looked nervous. "I wanted to apologize, you know, for the way I acted the other night."

"Oh, Devin, no need. I'm sorry about the whole Will thing, we just hadn't seen each other in a while, and-"

He cut her off with his hand.

"I, well, this is going to sound so weird, but I like you. Like, a lot. I kinda did during last semester, and I definitely do now. I've wanted to ask you out for some time now, but I guess I didn't because… I don't know why."

She was stunned into silence for a moment. "Oh, uh, wow. I'm sorry, I didn't know…" She cleared her throat.

He looked down at his feet and shifted his weight. "Don't hate me, but I guess I had a bit too much to drink, and the other night, on my way over here, I made myself think that you needed me. I may have even believed that I was rescuing you." He looked at her, searching her face. "When in reality, you were doing pretty fine without me. So, I hope that you can forgive me, and we can still be friends? I know that you probably don't ever want to speak to me again, and I don't blame you, but hanging out with you in Sociology is the only reason I haven't dropped the class yet." He smiled sheepishly.

She truly looked at him, and realized that maybe he wasn't as polished as she'd originally thought. In daylight, he looked like the typical popular guy, with the GQ good looks, the perfectly gelled hair and the expensive cologne. But right now, outside of school, she could see that he was much shorter than she'd originally thought, his eyebrows were a slightly crooked, and his eyes were just a little too far apart. His hair wasn't as skillfully gelled as normal, and it hung too low over his eyes.

He seemed real; not nearly as teen magazine gorgeous as she'd been led to believe.

"Yeah, Devin. I'd like that." She smiled at him.

"Oh, thanks. So, uh. Are you and that Will guy… together?"

She pondered the question. "It's complicated."

"But that means you're not single?" He aimed a calculated grin her way, but it missed its mark on her.

"To be honest, I'm not sure."

"Well, in that case, let me know? Because I'd really like to try that date again, the right way. You know, without any British tag-alongs." They laughed, but her heart wasn't in it. After another few minutes of forced small talk, he headed back on his way, looking much happier than he'd been when he'd arrived.

Resting her head on the back of the bench, she swung herself back and forth, letting the breeze sway her curls across her face.

She'd been so relaxed that she didn't realize that he was there until she felt the shadow cross over her face.

"So you entertain company every night, do you? I'm glad you're not lonely."

Her eyes shot open. Spike was leaning against the wooden pillar, arms crossed and jaw tense.

"So you came over to spy on me, but couldn't be bothered to come over and say hello."

"I wasn't spying on you… I was just passing through the neighborhood."

"Then how did you know he was here?" He paused for a moment

"Amazing night vision. It comes with the fangs."

She let him stew for a moment before letting him off the hook. "Spike, he just stopped by to apologize."

"Bollocks. He wanted in your pants, and you know it."

"Well, you weren't here. He had every opportunity to try, and he didn't."

"Again, bollocks. All that 'I hope we can be friends' bullshit? A line if I ever heard one."

"So if you were just passing by, how did you hear him?" She tried really hard not to laugh, but she could feel the ends of her lips curling.

"Excellent hearing. Comes with the fangs too."

"Spike, even if he had come on to me, I wouldn't have let him. You know that."

"I know nothing of the sort. You technically had a date with the guy, so how am I supposed to know that you're not going to go out with him again, maybe go home with him this time. Nothing's changed since then…" She knew that he was testing her, but she just let him continue. "I mean, let's be honest. A nice college boy, probably from a nice family. He's got a lot to offer a girl like you. Hell, he can go out during the day, which definitely makes him more suited for you than another guy I know."

"You're right. I'll call him back and we'll fool around until my dad gets home."

He froze, angry and surprised. She couldn't help but laugh out.

"Spike, are you jealous?"

He paused, not moving from his position against the post. "I'm not jealous; I'm just, uh, territorial. It comes with the fangs."

His face softened under the porch light, and she felt warm despite of the cool breeze. Standing, she walked toward the screen door. "Come in, Spike."

She walked slowly, with more confidence than she felt. She shed her flip-flops, leaving them on the rug. She stood at the lowest stair and watched him as he pulled off his boots, hung up his jacket on the banister. He followed her up the stairs silently, mere inches behind her. She took the first step into her bedroom, and waited until he was inside before she closed the door with a soft click.

His eyes were trained on her, and his gaze was almost nervous in nature. His Adam's apple bobbed.

"Pet, I'm not sure what-" He cut off when she laid her finger against his lips.

"Spike, what were you talking about down stairs? You said Devin had a lot to offer a girl like me… In comparison to who?"

He was quiet for a long time.

"Dani, I have nothing to offer you. I would never dream of hurting you, but I can't be sure that this chip won't malfunction, or worse-"

She kissed him. The kiss almost spun out of control, but she pulled away before it could gather any steam.

"Spike, I know you. I know your whole horrific history, and I know what you're capable of. I'm kind of ashamed to say it, but… I've had a little crush on you for about a year now."

His eyes narrowed. "But I've only had this bloody chip for a few months."

"I know." She took a deep breath. "Do you remember last summer, when you and Drusilla and those creepy French vamps took over the old train depot? We all rushed in to stop you, and near the end of the fight, you, uh, grabbed me as bait?" He had a pained expression on his face which showed that he remembered, but he nodded for her to continue. "You could have killed me, but you didn't. Buffy was too slow to get to you, but instead of snapping my neck like you could have, after trying to kidnap me, you tossed me at Zander and ran off."

"Dani, you've been carrying a torch since then?" She nodded. "Christ." He stalked away from her, and ran his hands through his hair. "Love, I was a different person then. I was dangerous, I was power-hungry. Bloody Hell, I was a very bad man."

He remembered it well. He had never wanted to kill her. Killing her was far from his mind when he'd held her against his body with his arms around her waist. He'd wanted to take her back to his lair, and tie her down to play with him and Dru for a few hours. After she was spent, he would have made her into a monster like him. She would have been his pet, forever servicing him and playing dolls with Drusilla, all day, every day.

"I know… I just, well, I… You kind of, sparked a few ideas in my head, holding me like that, and I guess…" Her cheeks were flushed crimson now, and she dropped her gaze to the floor.

"What kind of ideas, love?" His whole body thrummed, waiting for her answer. "Are you saying that my rough handling of you sparked… Fantasies?"

She didn't say a word, but her face was redder than he'd ever seen it. His dick was so hard that he could barely think straight, and when she started biting her lip, he snapped.

He rushed her, wrapping an arm around her lower back with his other hand braced at the back of her neck. He forcefully brought her lips to his, while scooping her toward his erection, where she instinctively wrapped her legs around him. He slammed the two of them against the back of the door, careful not to hurt her.

The usual hunger that he felt in her presence was running rampant through his system, but this time there was no blood involved. He ground his dick against her, creating friction and heat as his jeans rubbed forcefully against hers. He ripped his mouth from hers, used his grip on her hair to tilt her head back and lowered his mouth to her neck, knowing that if he wasn't going to be able to fuck her, he had to drink from her. He knew of no other way to get as close to her as he wanted to be.


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh, God, Spike, drink."

Dani cried out as his teeth pierced her skin. Her body was alive. She'd taken a chance telling him about the train depot, but she wanted him. She wanted him with a passion that she'd only read about in her worn romance novels.

The neck of her thin t-shirt must have been getting in his way, because he tore the shirt into shreds, leaving her clad in the laciest, frilliest, girliest bra that she owned. It was a Victoria's Secret push-up bra that was black and covered with black mesh and red-lace roses. It caught his attention, and he pulled back to examine it.

"Oh God… Where did you…" He ran his thumb over the fabric, and she arched her back to feel the pressure against her breast. He was dumbstruck.

"If this is how you react now, just wait until you see the matching panties." Her breath hitched as his eyes darted to their connecting bodies.

She waited, almost patiently, as he stood stock still, running through a few calculations in his head. Slowly he stepped back, setting her down. She was just about to complain, when he darted forward, and with more speed and precision than anyone as distracted as he was should possess, he wretched down her jeans, ripping them down the middle in the process. They lay, torn, puddled at her feet.

"First, you shred my panties the other night, and now you just destroyed both my shirt and my jeans!" She pushed at his shoulder.

"Don't tempt me like that and you may be able to keep your clothes." His voice came out soft and raspy since his attention was focused elsewhere.

The thong was made of the same black mesh material, but save for a few of the red lace roses, they were practically see-through. He could see soft black hair peeking through, and the fabric was perfectly molded to her lips. He reached out and brushed his knuckle along the outside, and, sure enough, they were just as soaked as they looked. He lowered himself to his knees, breathing in her scent.

He looked up at her momentarily before he gently brushed the panties to the side and ran the pad of his thumb along her entrance. He heard her gasp and he felt her knees start to wobble, so he splayed his other hand out on her waist, holding her securely against the wall.

Using only his middle finger, he slowly slid inside to the first knuckle, allowing her to get used to the invasion. He slid in and out, before deepening the contact to the next knuckle. She grew even wetter yet in order to accept him, and he was slowly getting drunk on the musk. Eventually his whole finger was there, allowing his palm to grip her while inside her. She was on the edge, but he slowed down, wanted this to last longer. If she came as hard as she had last night, she was bound to doze again, and he wanted to explore her body more. Unfortunately, they weren't far enough into this relationship that he felt comfortable touching her while she slept.

While the thought of any relationship would normally have sobered him completely, it mostly stoked the fire, making him even hotter than before.

The room was perfectly silent except for her soft whimpers and the sound of his finger sloshing against her juices. Looking up, he locked eyes with her before he started to work her clit with his thumb. She yelled out, but he didn't stop. He could feel the tell-tale tension building, and he held eye contact with her as he worked her faster and faster, almost blowing his own load as the wave overtook her. Her pussy gripped his finger, as if it didn't want to let him go, and her nectar pooled in his palm. He slowly slid his finger from her depths, and when he thought she wasn't looking, he licked at the remaining juices in his hand.

"Did you just…?" Her breath was airy yet husky, and the sound was music to his ears.

Sliding the whole of his finger into his mouth, he drank in her liquid. "I drink your blood every night. Surely this isn't any worse." Taking the same finger, he slid it back into her depths before pulling it out again. This time, he stood before reaching it out to her. "Try it."

He didn't really expect her to do it, but when her lips opened and welcomed his finger into her mouth, he almost came on the spot. The feeling of her tongue against his finger and her teeth lightly grazing him pulled a groan from his lips. Quickly thereafter, he laughed softly at the scrunched face she made to the taste.

"It's, um…"

"Don't worry, love, it's an acquired taste." He tried to keep his voice light; afraid that he was going to spook her if she realized that he was still sporting a monster woody.

"Um, do men taste like that too? Or just women?"

He expelled his breath and took a moment to steady himself. She shook him to the core, and he needed to gain some distance if he was going to be able to walk again anytime tonight.

"I'll tell you what, love, one of these nights I'll teach you how to suck a dick, and you can let me know." He'd expected her to slap him or push him away, or cover herself from him at least, but instead, she bit her lip and smiled.

"Um, what about now?" She looked meaningfully downward, where Spike Jr. was protruding behind his zipper.

"Daniela, don't think you have to... I was just being crass." He wouldn't let himself think that she would possibly want to do that, even as Spike Jr. grew even harder in preparation.

"I know. I can tell when you're being an asshole to try and push me away. That's why I haven't let it happen yet." She lowered herself to her knees. "I'm doing this because I want to. Because I've had my first date with you, my first drink with you, hell, my first real orgasm with you. You were the first person to touch me down there besides my doctor and myself. It only figures I'd have my first blow job with you."

She spoke to him matter-of-factly, when in reality she was so nervous she could have passed out. She'd seen his, um, thing, the other night in the kitchen, but as soon as she unzipped him with shaky fingers and he sprang out, she realized just how large he was. She slid his jeans to his ankles while keeping her eye on his length.

"Don't look so scared, love. It won't hurt you." His voice cracked, and she realized that he was just as nervous as she was. She didn't understand why, since she was almost positive he'd had this done to him before, but she welcomed the company.

She touched the head lightly with the pad of her forefinger, and watched slowly as a drop of pearly liquid appeared at the tip. She touched the warm liquid and lightly ran it over the smooth skin of his shaft.

When she started to take too long in her examination, he reached down and grabbed her hand. She allowed him to encircle himself with her palm, before he showed her how tight he liked it, how fast. When he pulled his hand away, she saw that only her own hand covered his length, and she felt the moan release from her mouth before she knew it was coming.

After a few moments of nervous exploration, she discovered that it took two fists to cover the length of his shaft, and he really liked it when her pinky brushed against his balls.

His breathing grew labored, and he groaned every once in a while. She knew with a feminine instinct that he was enjoying it as much as she was. She peeked up at him, and his face was tight. As she rubbed her thumb over his head, another drop of pearly liquid appeared. Curiosity won out, and she swiped it with her tongue.

"Oh, Bloody Hell!" His groan frightened her, causing her to pull her face away from him, but when she saw that he liked it, she took the entire head of his penis into her mouth.

Thankfully, his juices tasted differently than hers did. She'd only so far tasted the single drop, but she liked it better than her own. She ran her tongue around the edges, responding to his guttural sounds, before taking more and more of his length into her mouth.

He gripped her hair lightly, using it to set the pace for her. She opened her mouth as wide as possible, trying to take as much of him as she could, and was starting to get the hang of it when he started to pull her back. He popped out of her mouth with a suctioned noise, brushing against her cheek.

"Love, stop. I'm going to-"

Before he could stop her, she slid his length back into her mouth, tightening her lips against his shaft just as the floodgates opened.

Spike watched in awe as she drank in his come like a pro. He watched silently as she lapped his still semi-hard cock clean before wiping her mouth with the scraps of her shirt that lay on the floor.

She smiled when she looked up at him. "For the record, yours tastes better."

Without another thought, he reached down, pulled her into his arms and carried her to the bed. After laying her gently on that goddamn white comforter, he zipped his jeans back up, pushing his already hardening dick back into his pants before turning back to her. Without a word, he pulled away the remains of her pants and slid the flimsy thong from her waist before flinging them across the room. With rough hands, he pulled her legs open and settled himself between them.

"Let's just see about that." Without giving her time to think, he lowered his mouth to her and sucked. He licked at her rosy red clit while he slid his middle finger back into her opening. His tongue slurped at the swollen bud, and she went nuts. Her body vibrated, her hands tightened in his hair. Her legs tried in vain to wrap around his head, but he wanted her completely open to him, so he leaned his weight on his elbows, keeping her thighs pressed wide against the bed.

He felt her orgasm approaching, so he began to slide his forefinger inside her as well. Slowly working the two fingers into her tight little hole, he continued to tongue her clit, drinking in any liquid that worked its way out.

She came harder than anyone he'd ever been with. Her sweet juices practically poured into his mouth, and he knew that he would soon become addicted to the taste, just as he was already addicted to her blood.

When she finally settled down, he removed his hand from the grip of her pussy and climbed up her body, laying himself down next to her. She was already asleep, but he didn't want to leave yet. He was hard again, naturally, but even more than that, he just wanted to be near her.

The twin bed was barely large enough for the two of them, but still he attempted to stay at least four inches away from her. However, within moments, she was reaching for him as she slept. She nestled her head into the crook of his neck and wrapped her arm around his stomach. Eventually, her leg became entwined with his.

They lay there for hours. She was lightly snoring, but he was wide awake, as conscious of her heartbeat against his chest as the vanilla smell of the shampoo she used.

An hour before the sun was to rise, he finally eased himself from her grasp. He grabbed his shirt from the floor before he stood at the doorway and watched her sleep.

He wanted her.

And not only did he want her sexually, but he wanted her to be his. The need to possess her was strengthening, and he didn't know how to fight it anymore.

He searched through her desk, looking for a pen, but when he found the dry-erase marker, he smiled to himself.

Walking to her mirror, he used the red ink to draw a heart. It was corny and cheesy and unlike anything he would have done before, but it felt good.

Letting himself out through the front door, he looked up at her window as he walked away, missing her already.


	9. Chapter 9

Dani stood outside of Giles' apartment, fighting the urge to pace. She'd only been standing here for about five minutes, but she'd been sitting in her car for twenty minutes before that.

School had been pretty uneventful, especially since she'd actively gone out of her way to avoid everyone in her group of friends. Where normally she met with Willow before Biology, she walked a different way; when she would normally eat lunch with Buffy and Riley, she ate vending machine food instead.

But it was already 5:30pm, and she'd promised Buffy that she'd help patrol tonight.

With a deep breath, she reached out and turned the knob.

"Well, if it isn't the smitten kitten." Buffy sat at the dining table, sharpening an awful-looking hook blade and flipping through a large book, but the rest of the room was practically empty, save for Giles and his ever-present pile of books at the desk.

"What?"

"Oh please. Like Zander could keep the news about your date to himself. I'm pretty sure he called Willow and I the second we were back in town." Buffy shot her a knowing smile.

"Oh, yeah... Where is everyone?"

"Let's see… Zander is late getting out of work and he'll swing by later with Anya, and Willow and Tara were going to meet with another Wicca practitioner from school." She patted the chair next to her. "But never mind that. We have more important things to talk about, like your new boyfriend."

Gulp.

"Well, that's not really that big of a deal. You see-"

"Listen, Dani. I know how hard it is to be single when all of your friends are paired off, and I know how much it might suck sometimes. But I'm really, truly happy for you, and I want to hear about this mystery man of yours. So, what's he like?"

As Dani sank into the dining chair, she smiled to herself. She was finally happy. Even though her mind was plagued with doubts, none of them actually had to do with him.

"He's great. He's a bit rough around the edges, but he gets me. He sees through every mask I have, and treats me like me, rather than like all the other girls. He doesn't expect me to be prissy and girly, and he's just, well…"

"He sounds perfect for you, Dani." Buffy smiled. "So, when do we get to meet him?"

"Well, uh, he's really busy. He works late, so I only really get to see him at night, and, uh, we're still kind of seeing how things, um, are."

"Okay, fine. But I want you to know that if he hurts you, he'll have to deal with me in a dark alley."

Just then Giles strolled into the dining area.

"Hello, Dani." He started to clean his glasses as he was known to do when they would talk about dating stuff. "Well ladies, Willow just called with some rumors regarding a nest of vampires just outside of town. I think that you should possibly check it out. It's only hearsay, but-"

"Nest? I'm in." Buffy stood, gripping her hook blade and reaching for her bag.

"Buffy, do you think that this time you could possibly do some harmless reconnaissance before rushing in with weapons drawn?"

"Of course. You can drop Dani and I off, and we'll have the guys meet us there." She smiled innocently. "I'm just going to take Captain Hook here for backup."

Dani laughed at the exchange, welcome for the sense of normalcy among the recent upset of her life.

CHAPTER TEN:

The vamps were said to be nested in an old, rundown Victorian house a few blocks outside of the shadiest part of town. By the time everyone arrived and finished getting organized, the sun was setting in the distance. Buffy was naturally leading the group, followed by Willow and Tara, while Dani, Zander and Anya covered the end.

The front of the house made it seem entirely inhospitable. The siding was falling apart, the wrap-around porch seemed ready to cave in, and the doors were practically hanging off the hinges. The paint was peeling and there was a suspicious stain on the broken bench by the front window. The front door creaked in surround-sound when Buffy finally nudged it open.

"Alright. Willow and Zander, you take the upstairs. Tara and Anya take the main floor. Dani, you and I will take the basement. If there is any sign of trouble, scream and I'll come running." And with that, she slowly marched down the stairs to the basement, and Dani had no choice but to follow her.

Dani wasn't too good at the actual fighting part, but she was becoming a professional at the not-dying part… At least so far. She'd slain a few vamps in her day, but never without any help, so she was grateful to be paired with Buffy.

The stairs groaned under their weight, but they held long enough for the girls to get downstairs. The basement was dark, and when she clicked on her flashlight, there was a disheartening scurry from the wall closest to her causing her to jump.

"So, uh, Buffy? This seems vacant… It doesn't look like anyone has stayed her in quite some time, so-"

"Shh. Turn that off." Buffy crept slowly to through the far side of the basement, without the aid of the flashlight.

When she reached the other side, Buffy ran her hands over the wall, finding a crease. "This is a hidden door. I can just barely hear noises from the other side…" She pushed the metal shelving unit over to the other side. "You're good with how things work. Here, help me."

Dani put her flashlight back into her bag and started to search for the opening mechanism. There was a small latch on the wall near the floor on the right side, and when she pulled on it slightly, the door swung out, revealing a well lit room that didn't seem to belong with the rest of the house.

The room was large with dark red and black accents, and there were at least five people visible in the center of the room, in various states of undress. The woman in the forefront of the group had bright red curls that cascaded over her bare shoulders. She wore no clothing.

"Well, it seems that we have crashers that were not invited to the party. Get them, and bring them here." She spoke in a thick, Russian accent.

"Ew. Ew. Ew." Buffy shook her head. "I've never fought a naked vampire, and I really don't want to." She pulled a stake from the pocket of her jean jacket. "But that doesn't mean I won't."

Buffy flew into motion, fighting the two men and two women that had accompanied the redhead. Dani stood on the outside, trying to shout assistance from her hiding place by the wall.

Buffy fought hard against the two women, one of which had chin-length black hair and was completely naked, and the other had long blonde straight hair that hung down to her ass; she wore a bondage-inspired bustier with knee-high combat boots and nothing else.

The men stood on the outside, expecting Buffy to be handled quickly, and were both very surprised when the women were dusted simultaneously.

Dani was so enthralled by the battle that she was caught by surprise when the red-headed woman grabbed her by the upper arm.

"Well, well, well. You will soon see that crashers are not permitted to my parties."

She saw the well-manicured fist pull back, and before she could actively register what happened, the lights went out.


	10. Chapter 10

"Ah, good. Good! My favorite is waking up!"

Dani opened her eyes to find that, upon inspection, her hands were handcuffed around her back, effectively chaining her to a pole.

Dani looked to her right, and saw that Buffy, who was still unconscious, and Zander, whose eyes were affixed to the red-head, must have landed the same fate.

The red-head, still naked, clapped her hands, causing her ample breasts to jiggle distractingly.

"My name is Galena, and these are two of my minions, Raul and Carlo." Both men looked injured, but smiled at her creepily. "You and your friends ruined my party, and for that, you will have to suffer the consequences."

"Um, when you say consequences, you mean…" Zander smiled his flirty smile, and Dani wanted to strangle him.

"I mean that you and your two little friends will provide the entertainment, since your slayer friend here killed two of my selections for the evening." She smiled, allowing her fangs to break through. "I'm almost pleased with the results. Mmm. Dinner and a show."

Galena traipsed through the room, allowed all eyes to follow her, and obviously enjoyed the attention.

"Your other little friends got away, but don't worry your little heads. I have dispatched a few of my boys to bring them back here, so they will not miss the fun." Pulling a few dark scarves from the wall, she swayed her way back to her prisoners. "As for now, I want to show off my new toys."

Dani gulped.

"These scarves were blessed by a powerful black witch at a hefty price." She tied one around Zander's left wrist, directly above the heavy rope that held him to the pole, and another on his right. Raul, a tall, muscular black man, handed her a key, and she promptly untied him from the pole. "When someone wears these scarves, they are unable to untie them, and will do whatever I command. I cannot control what you say or think, but I can control your actions."

"This is really kinky, lady. You take the term controlling bitch to a whole other lev-"

"Kiss my breasts."

And Zander dropped to his knees, and began to lavish her breasts with his mouth.

"Zander!? What the Hell are you doing?!" Dani pulled at her restraints. "Buffy! Buffy, you need to wake up right now! We need you! Buffy!" Buffy merely slept on, unaware of the peril they were in.

"Oh, it's no use, little one. She already has her scarves on. I'm not ready for her yet, so she sleeps on." She snapped her fingers. "Alright, enough of that." Zander jumped away from her, wiping at his mouth, bewildered as to his actions.

Galena pulled down two more scarves and approached Dani.

"You are a very pretty girl. Why do you dress this way? You try to belittle your features, but Galena knows. Galena always knows." With a single movement, she ripped away Dani's shirt, leaving only her white lacy push-up bra behind. "See? Your body is actually very appealing." Galena nodded to both male vamps as well as Zander, all of which were blatantly staring at her newly revealed skin.

"Get your hands off of me, you vile woman!" Dani struggled, but Galena's vampire strength allowed her to be subdued until the scarves were in place. When the handcuffs were removed, Dani tried with all of her might to remove the scarves, but they simply wouldn't come undone.

"This one has fight still in her. Interesting." Galena ran her fingers along Dani's body, grazing her breasts before lightly cupping the mound between her legs through her jeans, applying enough pressure that it was almost painful. "I think that I may keep you around after I eat your friends. But first, I must break you." She snapped her fingers. "Raul, tie the boy to the pole again. I want her to service him." After a beat, she added, "Don't worry, my darling Raul. I will let you play with her later for bringing me the slayer."

Both Dani and Zander started to protest, but neither was able to truly fight back while wearing the scarves. Raul was able to tie Zander to the pole without issue, even going so far as to gag him. Galena had Dani kneel before Zander, while creepy Raul ran his hand through her hair and rubbed the back of her neck softly. While wearing the scarves, she couldn't even bring herself to shudder.

Galena was just about to order the unthinkable when the door opened again and Spike strolled in, whistling to himself.

"Galena, love, how've you been?"

"Spike! It has been ages! How is Drusilla doing these days?"

The two embraced, leaving Dani with a cold feeling in her stomach. She knew that he must be here to save them, but the sight of him embracing another naked woman left a very bad taste in her mouth.

"Well, you know how the whole eternal relationship thing goes. One century you're inseparable, the next you can't stand each other. Right now we're going through an off phase, but I imagine within the next decade or so we'll be together again. How's Gerald?"

"Meh, that pig? He is currently in Prague, chasing after some cloud demon, of all things."

"Oh, tough break." He glanced at Buffy, Zander and Dani, and she saw his eyes flash when they landed on Dani's position and Raul's hand caressing her bare neck, if only for a second. "Well, what do we have here? The slayer and her cronies? Do mine eyes deceive me?" He strolled toward them, grinning.

"Oh yes. They interrupted my latest party. I was just about the start the entertainment when you entered. Would you like to play too?" She ran her fingernail across his chest, tearing the soft fabric of his t-shirt at the shoulder. "I remember how much you like to play…"

Dani would have to talk to him about that.

"I was just stopping by to say hello, but I think I might stick around for a bit." He pulled off his duster and tossed it onto the loveseat. "You know, Galena, I've always had a thing for brunettes…" Spike ran his gaze over Dani's practically bare body, allowing his lust to show on his face.

"Oh, poo. I'm thinking I want that one for myself." She nudged Buffy with her bare foot. "You can have this one. I know you like slayers."

"To kill, they're fun. But she's too… Petite for me. Hell, I fancy myself a breast man." Spike stood next to Dani, effectively shouldering Raul to the side. He slowly dragged the pad of his forefinger to run along her collarbone, dipping deeply into her cleavage, and a muffled yell could be heard from behind the cloth in Zander's mouth.

"Very well. You are my guest. You can have her first. I was thinking about keeping that one around for a while though. She is easy on the eyes."

"I'll keep that in mind." He gripped Dani roughly by the upper arm, and pulled her to her feet. Holding her tightly against his body, he gripped her ass, causing Zander to scream even louder from behind his gag.

"This one is really starting to annoy me. I think I'm just going to kill him."

"No!" Spike yelled out, causing both Galena and Zander to freeze. "Don't kill him yet. I think I remember hearing that he fancied this one. After I break her in, I think I'd like him to watch round two."

"Oh, Spike! You are positively dreadful! Drusilla is a lucky woman." She ran her hands through Zander's hair. "Very well. I'll play with the other boys for now. And who knows?" She approached Spike and Dani, before kissing Dani forcefully on the lips, being very generous with her tongue. "Maybe I'll join you for round two."

"Oh, I do hope so." He kissed Dani on the mouth, just as forcefully as Galena had, and with none of the tenderness that she was used to from him. "Alright, I'm ready to play." His voice was a deep growl. "Do you have a spare room, love?"

"Just outside that door is my personal playroom. Use it as you like."

Lifting Dani over his shoulder, he hauled her through the door before slamming it.

"What the hell-"

Spike slid her down his body before slamming his lips against hers, effectively silencing her. Then, he lifted her against the wall and ground his erection into the vee of her legs. He slowly dragged his lips from her mouth to her neck, where he mumbled very softly.

"She's watching on the camera." He gestured to a small black device in the far corner of the room. "We're going to have to put on a little show. I met with Giles outside.

"Galena is older and stronger than I am, and fancies these little sex parties. We interrogated her other cronies, who told us about the scarves, and Willow is trying to counter the magic, but until then we'll have to play along. There is no way out without Buffy, pet, and you have to forgive me for anything I might do until then."

Almost hurting her, he wretched her bra from her body, ripping one of the straps, but the rest stayed intact. He lurched the two of them onto the bed, rolling them around until he was on top again, while nipping hard at her neck.

"Love, I'm so sorry about this." Pulling himself to his feet, he unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned his jeans, and let them fall to his ankles. "I'll make it up to you later, I promise."

Afraid of what her voice would sound like, she just nodded. Dropping to her knees, she opened her mouth for him to slide inside. He gripped her hair and fucked her mouth.

He was using more force than he'd ever used before, and instead of being afraid, she was finding that she liked it more than she should. While he was tugging at her hair, she placed her hands on his thighs, bracing herself for the impact, waiting for his impending orgasm, but it didn't come.

Finally he ripped his dick from her lips, and, breathing hard, lifted her on to the bed.

"Bloody Hell. I've never had this problem before."

"What's wrong?" She ran her hand along the side of his face.

"I can't, er… I need you to enjoy it, love."

Without another word, she brought his finger to the wet spot on her jeans. His eyes almost bulged out of his head.

"You, er, like that? You like it a little rough, do you?"

She smiled and nodded. "Not too rough, but, uh, yeah. I kind of do."

"Well, in that case…" He slid himself down her body, and locking eyes with her, he unbuttoned her jeans, and with more care than he'd exercised before, gently removed them. Through her silk panties, he dragged his tongue along the silky fabric, every once in a while straying from the course to lap up some of her juices. Unable to control himself, he ripped the panties from her body and dug in. Sliding two fingers inside her, he circled her clit with his tongue.

"Well, pet, if you like it rough, let's see how you like this." He slid another finger inside her, opening her more. She moaned.

"Spike, that hurts a little."

"Well, I'll ease off a bit, but I'm not removing a finger. You need to get used to the thickness if you're ever going to take me inside that tight little virgin hole." He spoke with an angry growl, but his face was buried against her muff, and she could see the tenderness in his eyes, whereas hopefully the cameras didn't. He slowly slid all three fingers inside of her, never going far enough to tear her virgin tissue, but just enough to stretch her and make her feel incredibly full.

She moaned in pleasure/pain, but he knew that she liked it because her juices multiplied. Her little rosebud clit was swelling even larger still, and the liquid was pouring from her cunt faster than he could drink. He felt her approaching, and it sparked an idea. He climbed over her, bracing his elbows at her knees to keep his face at her pussy, and lowered his dick into her mouth.

"Suck me hard, baby. I'm going to blow." Spike felt the tremors approaching from inside her pussy, but was almost too distracted by the feel of her lips and tongue against his dick to notice.

He blew his load just as her climax hit.

Moments later, he eased himself from on top of her, and even though her chin was covered in his sticky come, he kissed her lightly.

He reached for her hand, and intertwined his fingers with hers, and it wasn't until then that they noticed that the scarves must have fallen off. He used one of them to wipe his mouth, and the other to clean her face as well.

"Listen, Daniela, I-"

There was a crash from the outside of the room. They dressed quickly before making their way outside.

Buffy was alive and kicking and backing Galena into a corner.

"Alright, you ginger slut. You made me sleep," She punched Galena in the jaw. "And then you molested my friends," She kicked her in the stomach. "This is not okay." Buffy kicked her directly in the throat, sending her wheeling to the floor.

While Buffy was battling, Dani ran to the duffel bag that they'd left abandoned on the floor after their earlier scuffle. Pulling out a thick wooden stake, she tossed it to Buffy, who caught it in mid-air.

"Have some decency, bitch." Buffy drove the stake straight into her naked chest, and within seconds she was dust.

Buffy brushed herself off. "So, what did I miss?"

Zander was practically screaming into his gag and struggling against the handcuffs.

"Can we keep him like this? I like him better this way." Spike laughed.

"Very funny, Spike. Let him out."

Spike walked over and started to uncuff Zander, but the second his hands were free and the gag removed, Zander punched at his face. Spike caught him before he made contact.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

"You were supposed to rescue us, not cop a feel! You big fanged creep!" Zander walked over to Dani, who was trying in vain to cover her near-nakedness. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Zander. He saved your life, and mine."

"Wait, hold on. Who did Spike cop a feel on? Because I was asleep, and if-" Buffy crossed her arms.

"Calm down, Slayer. I saved Daniela from doing something to Zander that they both would have regretted, and apparently this is the thanks I get." Spike peeled off his shirt.

"Whoa, there, fang boy. Why are you removing clothing? No one said anything about removing clothing." Zander stepped back from the group.

"Calm down. I just figure that if we're leaving soon, Daniela wouldn't want to get arrested." He handed her his shirt, and she smiled back at him.

The group walked silently through the dilapidated house, with both Buffy and Zander standing between Dani and Spike. When they finally got back to the cars, Zander ran to Anya, who had her forearm wrapped in gauze. Willow and Tara were with Giles, and they had ingredients spread over the hood of Giles' car.

"Oh good, you're all alright." Giles walked forward. "Um, Spike? Where is your shirt?"

"Daniela's got it."

"And, um, where is Dani's shirt?"

"The naked bitch ripped it."

"Oh, of course." He did a double take. "Naked? Well, why-"

"Listen, Giles. This is all well and good, but I really don't want to talk about it." Buffy leaned against the passenger's side door of Tara's car.

While everyone was getting situated, Dani stayed quiet. When Spike slipped away, no one else noticed, but she did.

Buffy walked slowly to Dani as everyone else was relaying their versions of the story.

"So, Dani, I have to ask. What happened while I was knocked out?"

"Well, the naked bitch ripped my shirt and was about to make me do some awful stuff to Zander, and then Spike showed up. He saved me from being Naked Bitch's sex slave, and the next thing I know, you're conscious and kicking ass. That's pretty much it."

"Awful stuff to Zander, like hurt him?"

"Not exactly…"

"Oh, ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. I'm almost glad I was unconscious for that part."

"Yeah, I could only wish."


	11. Chapter 11

The drive home went by in a flash. She was so focused on not thinking about Galena or Spike that she was back at Giles' house fairly quickly, and then she drove home almost in a daze. She parked her car in the driveway and made her way to the door.

The moment that she reached the door, she walked inside, turned on all of the lights, walked to the couch, and collapsed on it.

Only then did she allow herself to think about the events of the evening, but it didn't really penetrate. She was numb.

She wasn't sure how long she was on the couch, but there was a swift knock at the front door. Knowing full and well that there weren't very many people that would knock that she was willing to speak to at the moment, she just ignored it.

Then the doorbell rang, and again, she ignored it.

A moment later, the screen door whipped open and Spike stormed in.

"When I have the decency to knock, it is common courtesy to answer the bleeding door!" He stood in the middle of the room, looking angry.

She crumpled into tears.

"No, baby, no." He ran to the couch and pulled her into his arms, draping her over his lap. "I'm not mad at you, it's just that after today I was bloody worried, and-"

Between sniffles she muttered something, but he couldn't understand a word of it, so he just held her until the sobbing subsided. Finally, she whispered into his neck.

"It was awful, Spike. I feel so violated…"

"Love, if I was too rough, I'm sorry, but-"

"No, not that. That was… Nice." She touched his cheek. "I'm talking about the scarves. I had no control of myself… Not my body, and not was done to my body… She almost made me… And she could have too.

"I'm so used to having Buffy rescue me, but seeing her knocked out like that…"

He let her finish, holding her tightly against him.

"Pet, why don't I draw you a warm bath? You're shivering something awful." Without waiting for a response, he scooped her into his arms and carried her up the stairs. She held on tight, and when they reached the upstairs bathroom, he set her down. "You run to your bedroom and get all of your nighttime girlie things, and I'm going to run the water."

She shuffled down the hall, and, without shame, he watched her walk.

That was his girl.

He'd never really had a girlfriend in the literal sense. Dru had been his sire, but they never really dated; it was more of a destructive partnership that included lots of mass murdering and kinky sex. As a human, he'd died a virgin, and as Spike, he'd had way too many impersonal fuck-buddies to actually matter.

But this was different.

As he ran the water, he found himself smiling. She was sweet and innocent, impeccably smart and so goddamn sexy.

And she was his.

He found some bubble bath under the sink and added a capful, just for the mere pleasure of imagining her naked body surrounded by bubbles.

Then he added some more.

She walked in wearing a fluffy white robe, and her cheeks were getting some of their color back. She didn't carry any of the bottles and pots of perfumes and lotions that Dru had claimed to need; instead she held a single black tank top and ragged pajama pants. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she looked so small…

He gathered her in his arms, struck again by horrible thoughts as to what might have happened to her had he been just a few minutes too late.

They stood there holding on to each other for so long that the tub nearly overflowed. Just in time, he pulled away to turn off the water.

"Well, you get in, and take your time. Don't worry about me."

"Um, can you, uh, not go?"

"Love, I'm only going to be in the other room."

"I mean, can you, um, join me?"

It took all of his willpower for him to deny her.

"Love, I can't. You've been through an ordeal, and I couldn't stand myself if I were to take advantage of that. And Hell, you're barely standing up as it is. We have only a few more hours before the sun comes up, so hurry and take your bath. I'll be here, waiting."

He kissed her forehead before closing the door with a click.

He stood with his ear to the door. He listened carefully as she slipped into the water and started to splash around; he heard her mumbling to herself, and then he heard her off-key humming.

He was so in love with the girl that it hurt.

Walking slowly down the hallway, he realized the sky didn't fall and the ground hadn't swallowed him whole. He loved her even though he wasn't worthy to kiss her feet, and yet the world hadn't ended. Spike untied his boots and kicked them off at her bedroom door, slid his jacket from his still-bare shoulders, and climbed onto the infamous princess bed. Leaning his back against the light purple walls, he was even able to imagine what it might be like for her to love him back.

But there was no future for a half-undead couple.

He was almost two-hundred years old, and she just turned 19. He was a blood-sucking vampire that was wanted in 26 countries for multiple crimes including manslaughter and public destruction, while she was set to graduate summa cum laude from college and become a brain surgeon or something.

But while his head knew all of these things, he still swallowed his tongue when he heard her approach. He still got goose bumps when he saw her, and he couldn't help but smile when she crossed the room to him.

Her curls were dripping wet as she clambered onto the bed and snuggled up against him, leaving a wet spot on his shirt where her curls met his shoulder; he didn't mind.

Her skin was so soft and her hair smelled of vanilla. He felt her shiver slightly, so he pulled them both under the covers, but didn't relinquish his hold on her.

Within minutes, she was sleeping. He held her tight, softly kissing her cheek or caressing her shoulder periodically, just because he could. When sunrise neared, he didn't want to leave. He waited until he literally couldn't wait any longer before he slipped out of her bed for the fourth night in a row.

And for the fourth night in a row, he missed her before he reached the sidewalk.


	12. Chapter 12

"I swear to God, Spike, if you keep looking at me like that, I'm never going to get this kitchen cleaned up."

That following Thursday, Spike sat at her kitchen table, watching closely as she scrubbed the dishes and washed the counters, and every once in a while he caught a glimpse of a sliver of skin at her waist.

"Come on, Pet. Your father has been home for the past few nights, and I've had to behave." He smirked at her as he slowly stood and leaned against the counter. "I think I should be rewarded for my good behavior…"

"What good behavior? My father has been home two nights in a row, and even though I told you to behave, that doesn't mean that you did." She laughed as he slipped his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest.

"I think I've been a very good boy. I even let you get some sleep last night." He whispered very softly, a mere inch from her ear.

She slapped at his hands.

"I know what you're up to mister. Now shoo." She slapped at his hands again, pushing him toward the family room. "You go watch TV, and I'll join you as soon as I'm done. My dad will kill me if he comes home tomorrow morning and the kitchen is still a wreck."

Spike scowled to himself as he walked into the family room.

Within less than a week, she had become the most important thing in his life. He was here every night, and during the day, he had begun rehabbing some of the dingier parts of his crypt for her. Hell, he'd borrowed (read: stolen) Zander's vacuum for the simple idea that he wanted her to feel comfortable at his place.

He aimlessly flipped through the channels, and every single one reminded him somehow of Dani.

That girl had hair like Dani, but it wasn't as thick; Dani used to have a dog like that when she was a little girl; Dani used that kind of laundry detergent.

It seemed that his obsession wouldn't cease.

The second the water stopped running in the kitchen and he could hear her approach, he became genuinely excited.

She walked timidly into the living room, and he watched her walk as a predator watched his prey. She sat down at the opposite end of the couch, an entire couch cushion away from him, and he almost laughed out loud. In a single motion, he slid himself toward her, until his leg brushed her leg.

"I missed you." Slipping an arm around her shoulders, he nuzzled her earlobe. "You were too far away."

"Too far away? I was just in the next room." She squealed when he picked her up by her waist and pulled her over him so that she was straddling his legs.

"If I can't touch you, you're too far away…" He gripped her waist and pulled her even closer to his chest. "Mmm. That's better."

He kissed her softly before she pulled away.

"Spike? Can we talk about something?"

"I'm sure we can, but why don't we try later." He started nuzzling her neck, and muffled his words when he took her earlobe between his lips.

"I'm serious. There's something that I need to talk to you about…"

"Fine. You talk, and I'll continue to nibble on this sexy little spot where your neck meets your shoulder..."

She paused, almost allowing herself to get swept away by the sensations of his teeth and his tongue against her skin, but at the last minute it just slipped out.

"What are we, Spike?"

He stopped and pulled back to look at her. "Where is this coming from, pet?" He brushed her hair away from her face and stared at her intently.

"I just… I don't know… "

"What do you want from me, baby?"

"Again, I don't know… I still don't really know if this is happening in real life, ya know? I mean, you're, well, you. Sexy, smooth, badass… I'm just plain old me." She slid herself from his lap and kept her gaze to the floor. "I read ahead for class and analyze computer code in my spare time. I haven't worn a dress since I was 4 years old, not counting that scrap of a skirt you goaded me into wearing. I'm too short, too chubby and I'm so shy that I blush constantly. My hair is too frizzy, my teeth are only straight because of four years with braces, and I-"

He lifted her chin to face him. "Stop. Where is all of this coming from?"

"Well, I've just seen the other girls that you've been with, and I-"

"Again, stop right there. I'm assuming you're talking about Dru?"

"And Harmony…"

"Oh, good Lord." He ran his hand over his face. "Alright, first, Drusilla was crazy. She was literally a card-carrying loony, and I only stuck with her because she was my sire. Harmony was a complete nit-wit if I ever saw one, and the only reason I kept her around was because I was lonely and she was enthusiastic." He turned to face her on the couch. "Love, you are nothing like any of the women that I've been with before, and I thank God for that. You're shy at first, but then you become my sexy little spitfire with a tongue sharper than most of the slayer's weapons. You're gorgeous, you're smart as Hell, and you're quite possibly the only person alive, or dead, that makes me nervous like a teenager again.

"As far as the clothes thing, if you want to start dressing differently, I wouldn't mind. I barely notice your clothes now, seeing as most of the time all I can think about is getting you out of them again." She felt the blush creeping up her neck, and while she knew that he noticed, he didn't acknowledge it. "But I will say this. You will not be wearing that skirt out in public ever again. The only one allowed to see that much skin on my girl is me."

"So, I'm your girl?"

"I'd like very much for you to be." He slipped her hand into his and waited patiently. He was more nervous now than he'd been in a long time.

"Good." She leaned over and kissed him. "I just didn't know how these things work, seeing as I've never dated anyone before, and the only other person I've kissed was Zander, and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up, right there. Zander? You kissed Zander?"

"In like the sixth grade… "

"Really? That complete idiot? That was your first kiss?"

"Don't have a cow. It only lasted like 3 or 4 seconds, and-"

"That long?! Bloody Hell." He stood up and started pacing the room. She watched him incredulously. "I always thought that he liked you, but I didn't know that he'd had a chance to sample the merchandise yet."

"I think that was a bit rude…" She stood up to face him. "Why are you being this way? I've known him almost my entire life, and I kissed him for a few seconds almost ten years ago. I've known you for less than that, and I've done things to you that I wouldn't even consider doing to Zander." She placed her hands on his face. "Baby, just stop, okay? I'm your girl now. That means you have to trust me."

"So, if you want me to trust you, why don't you tell them? You know, tell the Scoobies about us." He pulled away from her. "You see them every day, and not once have I heard you mention that you've been blowing a vampire almost every night. You tell them about Will, and how he's an older man, but you left out the fact that he's centuries older than you, and, oh yeah, drinks blood."

"Spike, stop it. You're just trying to hurt me now." She felt the tears building in her eyes, but refused to let them fall. She pushed him hard in the chest. "I haven't told them yet, because I didn't exactly know if there was anything to tell…"

"Really, love, you're doing wonders for my self-esteem right now."

"No, I mean, I wasn't sure how they would take it."

"Of course. We have to spare poor little Zander's feelings. Couldn't have that ninny getting upset."

"No, you jerk, I meant, look at the reaction we got when you first drank from me. They're my best friends, and I couldn't stand it if they didn't like my boyfriend."

"Then you should just date Zander. I'm sure all of your friends would like that."

"I'm pretty sure that Anya would take exception to that! And could you just leave Zander out of this!" She pushed him again. "I didn't like Zander then, and I don't like Zander now. Ugh. You know what? I'm not sure I like you right now either." She ran her hands through her hair. "I think you should leave."

Spike looked at her for a long moment, and instead of saying anything, he just turned and walked away. Once she heard the door click, she crumpled onto the couch.

In the space of a few minutes, she not only gained her first boyfriend, but lost him as well.


	13. Chapter 13

That next evening, the Gang met outside of a football game for Holy Trinity High School, a private school on the outskirts of town. Naturally, they weren't here for pleasure, so much as a vampire stake-out.

"Riley and I found a few of them nearby, and we were able to dust them before they hurt anyone, but a few got away, and ran toward the school. I want everyone to buddy up and keep an eye out. We can't let those creeps loose on these people."

Buffy and Riley agreed to monitor the home stands, Zander and Anya would watch the visitors side, and Dani would wait at the concessions stand for Willow to arrive.

After almost ten minutes of no vampires, she almost screamed when two hands slipped around her waist from behind.

"I thought we had plans tonight." Spike's voice rumbled deep in his chest, but he whispered light, only for her ears.

"I, uh, thought you were still mad at me…"

"I thought I was too. But then, I came here to talk to you, and I got distracted by this exquisite neck… I just couldn't help but come over for a nibble…" He started to drag his teeth over her skin, causing goose bumps to rise in their wake.

"Spike, stop that. Willow is going to be here any second." She slapped lightly at his hands, and stepped out of his arms before turning to face him. "I'm glad that you're not mad anymore, but we still need to talk." He started to argue with her, but she cut him off. "Take it or leave it, Spike. I'm not going to feel sorry for trying to spare my friends' feelings. They have a lot going on right now, and I shouldn't have to explain myself to them."

After a pregnant pause, he nodded. She was almost grateful that he was so cooperative, until he smirked.

"For now, pet, I'll leave it alone." He stepped slowly towards her, bringing his lips within centimeters of her own. "Want to go under the bleachers and snog?"

"What does that even mean? Every time I think I know your weird lingo, you add another one. I think you make half of these things up…" She mumbled under her breath.

He chuckled. Taking her hand lightly, he led her to a secluded corner under the bleachers, out of view of the concessions booth.

Her heart was in her throat, beating loud enough for him to hear. Her hand was buzzing where her skin touched his and she felt it in her toes.

Finally, he turned and leaned her against one of the poles holding the bleachers up. Without a word, he placed her hands on his shoulders and dragged his fingertips down the side of her face and along her jawline.

"Every single time you let me touch you; I almost don't know where to lay my hands. Of course, I do have a few favorites…" He chuckled again. "But, I'll be damned if there is a single part of you that doesn't rev my engine."

He leaned in and kissed her softly. His hands immediately dropped to her hips, and he jerked her flush against his body. She tightened her arms around his neck as he took her bottom lip between his teeth, nibbling lightly before pulling away again.

"Every. Bloody. Time." He growled, low in his chest and leaned his forehead against hers. "What are you doing to me, love? Every time I'm with you, I lose control like a bloody teenager." He lowered his mouth to her neck and started to suck lightly at the markings on her neck; a thin scar, partially healed over, at the base of her neck. Just looking at it made his dick hard as nails, and the thought that she would forever wear his mark almost made him come in his jeans. He sucked on it slightly, feeling the slight grooves with his tongue. He felt her moan before he heard it.

"I swear. Snogging under the bleachers… You're turning into my own little bad girl. I think I've been a bad influence on you…" Grinding his erection against her, he fought the urge to bite her. He was barely holding on to his control as it was, and there were at least a few hundred people surrounding them. He may enjoy a few kinks from time to time, but not when he took her for the first time.

He pressed his lips against hers, and savored the kiss. It was passionate and strong, and then, without prodding, he felt her little tongue pressing against his lips. He made a noise deep in his throat and sucked on her little pink tongue as it slipped into his mouth. He nipped it lightly.

"Spike… You're making me crazy…" She pulled her mouth from his and writhed against him.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me, you little minx?" He reached to his shoulder and dragged her hand down his chest, stopping at his erection. She instinctively gripped his dick through his jeans. "God, love, I wish we were alone right now… I want nothing more than to lap you up like the sweet little treat that you are. I want you to-"

"Spike? What the Hell are you doing at Trinity?" Willow took several timid steps under the bleachers, slowly approaching toward their little corner. "Huh. I thought I saw your hair under here. You'd think a creature of the night would have a less vibrant hair color. Have you seen Dani? Zander said that she was going to be over here, and I-"

Spike and Dani jumped away from each other, and Willow froze in her tracks. There was a long pause, and tension was thick in the air between them.

"Oh, I, uh, see that you've seen her. Huh."

There was another pause.

"Okay, listen, Willow. This isn't what it looks like… It's, uh-"

"Bollox. This is exactly what it looks like." He turned to face Willow. "Daniela and I have been seeing each other." Spike turned to Dani, who was standing stock still, with her mouth hanging open. He attempted to put his arm around her, but she shrugged him away.

"Oh. Uh, hmm. That's, uh…"

"Willow, please don't say anything to the others... I'm going to tell everyone, I'm just… I need to figure out how."

Willow nodded. "So, are you guys, um, drinking buddies? Or, um, other buddies?" She spoke really softly.

"We're dating." Spike spoke unapologetically.

"Really?" She looked at Dani. "What about Will?"

"And you're supposed to be the smart one." Spike scoffed.

"Oh. Will, William… I get it."

There was another long pause.

"Well, I'm off." He took the several steps toward Dani and without waiting for permission, kissed her heavily on the lips. "Come by my crypt when you're done here." He kissed her on the lips once more, lightly this time, before walking out the way they had come, without a single glance at Willow.

"Dani, are you sure you know what you're doing? I mean, you're dating Spike. William the Bloody, brutal murderer of two slayers… He's not exactly the fluffy bunny that we sometimes make him out to be."

"I know all of that. But he's different. I don't know how to explain it, but he's changed…"

The girls started walking toward the concession stand, which was their assigned post for the evening. They bought a box of popcorn to share and spent the rest of the game leaning up against the wall, watching the customers and talking about Spike.

"So how did this all happen?"

"Well, he helped me out with a favor, and in return I let him drink from me again. Then, one time he kissed me without the blood influence, and then he started coming over almost every night. He's been amazing… There is so much to him that he doesn't show, and, well, I'm crazy about him."

"Crazy about who?" Zander walked over, immediately reaching for Dani's practically full box of popcorn.

"Oh, uh, Will. My boyfriend." Dani turned to Willow, who was known to be a horrible secret keeper.

Willow flushed.

"Oh, okay. Well, Buffy dusted two vamps, and she thinks that's it for tonight. She said that we should meet at the entrance of the school."

The walk back was nearly silent, save for Zander's loud chewing.

Dani couldn't believe Spike's actions. If she didn't know any better, he'd done all of that because he knew that Willow would catch them. He had completely ignored her wishes, and now the choice was taken from her completely. She had no choice but to reveal her relationship to the gang and hope for the best.

"Alright guys, how did everyone make out?" Buffy stood in the middle of the group, with dust covering the bottom of her jeans.

"What? No one made out. No siree." Willow spoke too cheerfully, drawing everyone's attention.

Dani elbowed her.

"Willow, I meant how did you guys do?" Buffy chuckled to herself as she finished putting her spare stakes into Riley's car. "Did you see any other vamps?"

"Oh, okay. Then in that case, we didn't do any of that either."

"Yeah, well, I found two vamps near the bathrooms giving a cheerleader nightmares for life. A very long life, thanks to me." She dusted off her jeans once more. "Alright, well, Riley and I are going to do some more patrolling of the area, but I think that you guys can probably head out. And Willow? No more caffeine, okay? You're shaking like a leaf."

Without another word to the rest of them, Dani headed toward the parking lot.

She had a boyfriend to slay.


End file.
